Become an ARIA Programme Director

Applications for our second cohort are now closed

What you'll do

Who you are

Eligibility

Process

Apply

FAQs

Imagine your version of the future, then create it.

That’s what you’ll do as an ARIA Programme Director (PD). Our PDs are scientific and technical leaders with deep expertise across one or more fields and a focused, creative vision for how technology can enable a better future. You’ll join us for three years to design a programme around your own scientific or technical vision, and then fund and direct a portfolio of projects to make it a reality.

Take your vision from inception to activation.

We’ll give you the toolkit to supercharge your progress. Our job: empower you to think bigger and more creatively, surround you with peers and advisors, and leverage our networks to advance your goals. You’ll be part of our second cohort of PDs, and benefit from joint training opportunities and the experience and learnings of our first cohort.

What you’ll do

Design a multi-year R&D programme with a budget of ≈£50 million;
Select and fund a portfolio of R&D projects to unlock breakthroughs and advance the programme’s objectives;
Create a new community around your programme’s vision and goals;
Shape ARIA’s DNA during our formative years.

How we’ll support you

Build a bespoke technical and operational team to help you design, launch, and manage your programme;
Leverage our networks in the UK and abroad;
Nurture collaboration with the rest of your cohort, and our existing PDs;
Provide resources through our Activation Partners, who are catalysing venture creation for our opportunity spaces.

You can read the full job description below, but here’s a quick look at the kind of person we’re looking for.

You’re intrinsically motivated to have an outsized impact on the world and solve a major, meaningful problem

You’re deeply technical in at least one field, and open to exploring others

You can take a scientific/technical vision from idea to execution (like building a start-up, or running a research lab)

You have worked in a fast-paced environment, and you’re comfortable with uncertainty

You can unite others towards ambitious goals, handle hard conversations, and make difficult decisions

You’re self-motivated with a high quality bar, and you have the ability to empower people around you

You’re highly curious, you find possibilities where others don’t

You’re able to spend your time in the UK and show strong commitment to ARIA and public service

You have an idea of a problem you want to solve (but you don’t have to have a fully baked vision)

Eligibility

Have significant depth of knowledge and expertise within at least one scientific research, engineering or technology field – and lived experience of carrying out research in that field;
At least some experience working outside of academia;
Regularly attend in-person meetings at one or more locations in the UK, as well as occasional in-person meetings and events abroad;
Undergo national security vetting checks;
Have the right to work in the UK (note: ARIA is a registered funder with the ability to sponsor eligible candidates, and their families, under the Global Talent Visa route. Some international applicants may have to undergo additional security and vetting checks);
Spend a minimum of three days per week at ARIA HQ during the first and third weeks of every month to optimise collaboration with your cohort, the previous cohort of PDs, and the broader ARIA team;
This is a full-time role. We will work with the most qualified candidates to ensure the role suits their needs, discussing any required personal accommodations during the shortlisting process. We also consider secondment arrangements, but only a 100% time commitment to ARIA.

Angie Burnett

Angie sees plants as a tech platform to provide sustainable resources. She’ll direct funding into exploring programmable plants and their potential to solve some of humanity’s most pressing problems.

David ‘davidad’ Dalrymple

davidad wants to uncover technical solutions that ensure powerful AI systems interact as intended. He’ll be funding research using mathematics and modelling to unlock safe and transformative AI.

Gemma Bale and Sarah Bohndiek

Gemma and Sarah want to improve climate predictions. They will be funding research into how breakthroughs in optics may transform climate monitoring.

Jacques Carolan

Jacques wants to reimagine ways to interface with the human nervous system. He’ll direct funding into uncovering minimally-invasive treatments for brain disorders that can be implemented at scale.

Jenny Read

Jenny will explore advances in robotic hardware to unlock the potential of intelligent machines. She’ll direct funding into areas such as new materials for robot bodies or co-designing hardware and control.

Mark Symes

Mark is focused on mitigating or preventing climate and weather disasters. He’ll fund research aimed at developing a scientific framework for responsible climate and weather intervention technologies.

Suraj Bramhavar

Suraj aims to redefine the way computers process information. He’ll direct funding into how we can build dramatically more efficient computers using principles ubiquitously found in nature.

Opportunity spaces

ARIA opportunity spaces are areas we believe are likely to yield breakthroughs. An ARIA opportunity space must be:

Important if true (i.e. it could lead to a significant new capability for society);
Under-explored relative to its potential impact;
Ripe for new talent, perspectives, or resources to change what’s possible.

Each opportunity space will inform one or more ambitious R&D programmes that direct funding toward a focused objective, alongside more exploratory seed projects.

Incoming Programme Directors can build a programme either in an existing opportunity space, or in a new opportunity space they will create. Click here to see some ideas our team are thinking about.

Our current opportunity spaces, defined by our first cohort of Programme Directors, are:

Smarter Robot Bodies [PDF]

Scalable Neural Interfaces [PDF]

Mathematics for Safe AI [PDF]

Future Proofing Our Climate and Weather [PDF]

Scoping Our Planet [PDF]

Nature Computes Better [PDF]

Programmable Plants [PDF]

Inside the role of an ARIA Programme Director

1

6 September

Applications open

Apply for the Programme Director role by completing a short application form and uploading your CV here.

2

12 + 20 September

Open webinars

Watch the recordings from both sessions below to hear more from the ARIA team about the recruitment process, who we’re looking for, and how to make the most of your application.

3

23 September

Early bird deadline

We like early birds. Submit your application by 23:59 BST. Application review will begin at this point. You’ll hear from us in w/c 7 October.

4

7 October

Applications close

Submit your application by 23:59 BST. You’ll hear from us in w/c 21 October. Sign up here to hear more about future opportunities.

5

October – November

Virtual interviews

Successful applicants will first have a brief call with our hiring team, followed by an interview with two ARIA team members to discuss their background and vision. Those who advance will then be invited to a technical interview with an ARIA team member and an external expert panellist, where they’ll be given a technical task.

6

10 December

In-person finalist day

Finalists will be invited to an in-person ARIA day, along with our existing cohort of Programme Directors, executive team, some board members and special guests. We expect to make offers before the end of the year.

Start dates for the role will begin in early April 2025 but we can be flexible around capacity until the end of 2025. This will be discussed with each finalist.

Webinar 1

Webinar 2

Apply

Applications are now closed

If you have any questions, please submit an enquiry via our contact us form here. If you’d like to read about the new opportunity spaces our team are thinking about, click here.

Note: we welcomed applications for co-led programmes – capped at two co-PDs – but applicants must have applied individually.

See the full job description

As a Programme Director, where will I be based?

ARIA is currently operating out of our HQ in King’s Cross, London. You’ll be expected to spend dedicated time there each month to connect and work with the other Programme Directors in your cohort, our previous Programme Directors, ARIA’s leadership team and your programme team.

How long is the Programme Director tenure?

The Programme Director role is intentionally term-limited, ensuring urgency, a rotation of new ideas, and a diversity of leadership. Programme Directors will serve a 3 year term, with the possibility of extension.

Who will I work with?

You’ll be embedded in an extraordinary peer group of Programme Directors who are equally obsessed with creating the communities, products and technologies that catalyse scientific progress. You’ll be supported by world-class scientific talent, and work closely with our CEO and the wider ARIA network. You’ll also act as the interface between ARIA and the R&D system, as you converge global experts across multiple fields to uncover totally new capabilities.

What support will ARIA give me?

Beyond a funding budget, ARIA will provide you with bespoke Programme Specialist, Technical Specialist and operational and technical support. We’ll help you build a team, with support staff dedicated to your programme. You’ll be liberated from administrative and routine tasks, so your focus remains where it matters most. You’ll also leverage ARIA’s networks including our board, advisors and leadership team.

Can I submit a joint application?

The majority of our programmes will be led by an individual Programme Director, however we’re open to co-led programmes (capped at two Programme Directors). To make this happen, both individuals would need to apply independently to be considered.

Are you looking for Programme Directors with specific scientific/technical backgrounds or focus areas?

Ultimately, we want ARIA’s initial focus areas to be an emergent phenomenon, arising from natural connections among the early programmes we support. We’ll select our cohort of Programme Directors with an eye to such connections and look forward to shaping our early focus areas with them (and you). Read more on what we’re currently working on here, and the potential new opportunity spaces we’re dreaming up here.

Will I be able to retain a part time affiliation with my current employer/university?

The Programme Director job is intensive, typically occupying the full working week and occasionally requiring off-hours work and travel. Therefore candidates who accept the role will not be able to have part time affiliations with their current employer/university and will need to spend 100% of their time working at ARIA.

Can I undertake the role as a secondment from my current job?

In principle, yes. If successful, our team will be happy to discuss this with you further but secondees will need to spend 100% of their time committed to ARIA.

What are the nationality requirements for a Programme Director?

Role holders will need to have the right to work in the UK. ARIA is a registered funder with the ability to sponsor successful candidates (+ their families) under the Global Talent Visa route. Some international candidates may have to undergo additional security and vetting checks.

What is my salary?

We’ve carefully considered Programme Director compensation. We aim to bring together a mix of career-stages, disciplines and sectors – it’s important to us that we compensate competitively relative to benchmarks, whilst building a cohort where everyone feels like equal peers. The total package we are offer is therefore consistent for all incoming Programme Directors.

Can I apply into current opportunity spaces?

Yes, Programme Directors will be able to apply to existing opportunity spaces to build their programmes in, as well propose new potential opportunity spaces. You can choose from the ideas our team are dreaming up here or a new one entirely!

How will I interact with the first cohort of Programme Directors?

You will match their in person time, ensuring you have time to interact with them whilst they’re in the office to draw from their experiences and learnings.

Can I build a programme in an area outside of my expertise? How far outside?

Yes, if you have strong conviction as to why you are best placed to solve this challenge that is outside of your expertise and you have a useful insight as to what approach will lead to the strongest outcome.

What technical/team support will I have?

As well as the wider ARIA team, you will have your own programme team with a dedicated Technical Specialists whose role will be to support on all technical aspects of the workload from support in reviewing and assessing proposals, co-authoring solicitations and white papers, technical reporting + more that will support the development and success of the programme. You will also have a dedicated Programme Specialist who will support the management of your programme, as well as help guide you through the pre-programme approval process.

Can our start dates be flexible?

We are expecting all Programme Directors in this cohort to start in April 2025. In case of any issues with successful candidates, we will work with you to come to an agreed solution.

Will I be looked upon more favourably if I apply with an existing or a new opportunity space?

No, all candidates will be assessed against our selection criteria, and an understanding of the reason they are planning to explore the opportunity space they have selected, be it an an existing opportunity space or a new one. Click here to read some of the team’s ideas and provocations for new opportunity spaces.

How flexible are the working arrangements (e.g. location, hours, hybrid)?

Programme Directors will need to spend a minimum of three days per week at ARIA HQ during the first and third weeks of every month to optimise collaboration with your cohort, the previous cohort of PDs, and the broader ARIA team.

Do I need to give up my other commitments? (e.g. academic memberships, advisory roles)

You will not need to give up other commitments, as long as the other roles are declared, a mitigation plan is in place to avoid conflicts of interests and the role doesn’t cause issues to your commitments to ARIA. Each commitment will be assessed on a case by case basis. See our conflicts of interest policy here.

What’s your approach to conflicts of interest?

ARIA’s objective is to ensure that the influence of third parties does not compromise our decision making or independent judgement. This policy is applicable to anybody working with ARIA. See our conflicts of interest policy here.

What are the expectations of Programme Directors on external and community engagement?

ARIA Programme Directors are central to the organisation. Your work is shared publicly for feedback, so you should engage with external stakeholders and communities to ensure programmes address relevant issues and uphold ARIA’s commitment as public servants.

What administrative help will I receive?

Your dedicated Programme Specialist will be able to support you with some administrative tasks, e.g. booking travel/expenses.

If applying as co-Programme Directors, what happens if only one of us is selected?

The Programme Director who is selected will either be selected to run a programme by themselves, or potentially have the opportunity to build a programme with another PD in the cohort (if it makes sense for them to work together). This will be explored and finalised before offers have been made.

Become an ARIA Programme Director

Imagine your version of the future, then create it.