Job Specifications
Salary Levels: c.PS68,000, c.PS85,000, c.PS99,000 (eventual offers will be based on benchmarked experience levels in combination with our selection criteria)
Location: Kings X, London; Tues - Thurs (3 days) at HQ, Monday + Friday, anywhere
Employment Type: Full-time
Contract: 3 years fixed-term (with the possibility for extension)
Closing Date: 21.09.25
About ARIA
ARIA is a new kind of R&D funding agency. We fund scientists and engineers to pursue research at the edge of the possible. From climate change to AI, society faces enormous challenges and opportunities that can be uniquely addressed by science and technology. ARIA was created to activate the UK's world-class R&D in new ways, so we can meet these head on.
We are growing our team to develop bold new approaches that can scale - from programmes to systems, processes and everything in between. If that sounds fun, come and build ARIA with us.
Learn more about how we work here.
Role Summary
As an ARIA Technical Specialist, you will have the rare chance to catalyse breakthroughs that could change the world. You'll sit alongside Programme Director Brian Wang and their Programme Specialist on ARIA's Sustained Viral Resilience programme. You'll be exposed to every aspect of the programme's technical management from design through approval, project selection, and delivery.
We're looking for an adaptable technical professional who's strongly motivated by the opportunity to catalyse a technological step change. You'll be working in a bold, talented & agile team, funding projects ('Creators') across the entire R&D ecosystem, from startups to universities, in the pursuit of groundbreaking advancements that will shape the future of science & technology.
Meet Brian Wang
Brian Wang is a member of ARIA's second cohort of Programme Directors. He is a scientist and entrepreneur with a background in organic chemistry, synthetic biology, and drug and vaccine development for pandemic viruses. Prior to ARIA he co-founded and led the nonprofit start-up Panoplia Laboratories to develop medicines for "day zero" of the next pandemic.
Brian is leading an ARIA programme to pioneer a new kind of vaccine - an "innate vaccine" - that engineers the innate immune system with increased precision, accuracy, and durability to provide broad protection against many viruses at once.
Find out more about what they're working on here.
"With this programme, we have the opportunity to bring an entirely new kind of medicine into the world. We're looking for someone who can thrive at the intersection between fundamental immunology and translational medicine - if that's you, we'd love for you to join us."
Brian Wang, Programme Director
What you'll do
The scope of the role will evolve as ARIA continues to grow, but will broadly involve the following:
Technical Programme Advisory and Support
Act as the technical lead, with the Programme Director and their Programme Specialist, to shape and deliver a bold programme of research aimed at enabling the development of "innate vaccines".
Review project proposals, grant applications, assess technical milestones, and stay close to the ground on what's being built and tested by Creator teams.
Plan, lead, and contribute to technical discussions in project meetings, workshops, and formal reviews, bringing depth, challenge, and direction to every interaction.
Provide evidence-based technical insight to the Programme Director and the ARIA team to support high-quality decisions and sharpen the programme's strategic direction.
Confidently communicate complex scientific ideas surrounding the programme to stakeholders, from government and funders to key players across the ecosystem.
Identify emerging trends and surface the most promising technologies, people, and ideas across the programme and its surrounding opportunity space.
Co-author white papers, open calls, and technical reviews that articulate the ambition of the programme and set a clear, compelling vision for external communities.
Work closely with the Programme Specialist and Creator teams to drive project delivery, tracking against ambitious technical milestones, benchmarking progress against the state of the art, and spotting opportunities for research cross-pollination to sustain momentum.
Be the technical bridge between the PD and functional teams, ensuring execution aligns with the needs of the ecosystem's understanding of the programme.
Connecting the Programme to the Ecosystem
Represent the programme, often on behalf of the Programme Director, at events, workshops and talks.
Build trusted relationships with world-class researchers, labs, and founders working at the forefront of the programme's focus area.
Work closely with ARIA's Activation Partners to ensure Creator teams can access the right tools, platforms, and networks to accelerate translation and achieve impact beyond ARIA's direct reach.
Define and Cultivate ARIA's Technical Culture
Collaborate across ARIA on funding