Interim Head of Programme Communication and Engagement

Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA); Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 86,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Competitive pension

Life Insurance

Medical insurance

Employee assistance program

25 days annual leave

Cycle to work scheme

London office

Job summary

Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) is seeking an interim Head of Programme Communications to shape ARIA’s narrative strategy as we scale. You will oversee the overarching strategy, narrative standards, and operating model for the portfolio, ensuring alignment with ARIA’s mission and institutional goals.

Based in London, you will lead a team of four, collaborate with senior leaders, provide reputational counsel, and drive proactive storytelling across owned and earned channels, with AI

Qualifications

• Strategic leadership in programme communications and portfolio alignment.
• Development of narrative frameworks across multiple programmes.
• Leading comms teams (including contractors) with clear standards.
• High editorial standards and risk-aware storytelling.

Responsibilities

• Co-develop ARIA's programme communications strategy with senior leadership.
• Lead and develop a team of four within the programme comms function.
• Shape editorial and channel strategy for programme stories across owned and earned media.
• Provide senior advisory on reputational risk and messaging.
• Foster strong integration between Communications and Programme teams.
• Contribute to ARIA's broader comms, media, events and policy positioning.

Skills

Strategic Leadership

Narrative Architecture

People & Function Leadership

Editorial Excellence

Autonomy

Job description

Application Deadline: 16 October 2026

Department: Communications and Engagement

Location: London

Compensation: £95,000 / year

Description

Salary: £95,000

Location: Kings X, London; Tues - Thurs (3 days) at HQ, Monday + Friday, anywhere

Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract (12 Months), full time

Closing Date: 16th October 2026

About ARIA

ARIA is a R&D funding agency created to unlock technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone. 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. Our success is shaped by one question: how will ARIA transform the lives of the UK’s future generations? Whether that’s a life-changing new technology or a burgeoning new industry, it should be obvious that ARIA played a catalytic role.

Role Summary

Learn more about how we work here. Due to internal team shifts to support a maternity leave, this is an interim opportunity to shape and lead ARIA’s programme communications as we scale. Moving beyond day-to-day delivery, you will oversee the overarching strategy, narrative, editorial standards, and operating model for our programme portfolio. Your core objective is to ensure that every opportunity space and programme is not just effectively communicated, but aligned with ARIA’s broader mission and institutional goals.

What You’ll Do

• Strategic Direction & Narrative Architecture: Co-develop and evolve ARIA’s programme communications strategy in partnership with the Director of Communications and Engagement. Establish narrative frameworks that connect opportunity spaces to ARIA’s mission and operating model, identify cross-programme themes, ensure coherence and distinctiveness in framing, and embed lessons learned across programmes to continually elevate quality and impact.


• Leadership of the Programme Comms Function: Lead and develop a team of four including Programme Communications Managers and contractors, identifying and onboarding additional resource as necessary. Set standards, processes, and ways of working between Communications and Programme teams, allocate resources effectively, and build capability in narrative development, stakeholder engagement, and reputational judgement.


• Editorial & Channel Strategy: Shape how programme stories extend across owned and earned channels. Ensure programme milestones, launches, and Creator announcements meet a high editorial bar, and drive proactive, forward-looking storytelling in close coordination with the Content & Ecosystem Comms Lead and Content & Brand Manager.


• Reputational Counsel: Provide senior communications judgement on programme-level sensitivities and scrutiny. Advise Programme Directors and leadership on positioning and framing, anticipate risks, and support proactive narrative shaping.


• Programme–Comms Integration: Ensure strong, constructive working relationships between Communications and Programme teams. Develop training, guidance, and materials to improve collaboration and create clarity on roles, expectations, and standards.


• Institutional Contribution: Feed programme insight into ARIA’s broader communications, media, events, and policy positioning, supporting institutional narrative development through programme-level learning.


• Anchor Programme Leadership & AI in Science: Act as the strategic communications lead for one designated programme, serving as the primary communications partner to that Programme Director. Model best practice in narrative development, use insight from this programme to inform broader portfolio strategy, and help shape ARIA’s AI in Science strategy and associated communications as a parallel, organisation-wide priority.

Who You Are

A successful candidate will bring many of the following skills/experience:

Essential Criteria

• Strategic Leadership & Narrative Architecture: Proven track record in developing programme communications strategies, creating narrative frameworks, and aligning portfolio communications with high-level institutional goals.


• People & Function Leadership: Experience leading, managing, and developing comms teams (including contractors), setting cross-functional operational standards, and managing resources effectively.


• Reputational Counsel & Senior Advisory: Demonstrated senior communications judgement with experience advising C-suite / Programme leadership on complex risks, sensitive topics, and strategic positioning.


• High Autonomy: Ability to operate with high autonomy, proactively identifying challenges and building scalable solutions in a dynamic environment.


• Detail-Obsessed & High Editorial Standards: High editorial bar with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring compelling and error-free storytelling across owned and earned channels.

Desirable criteria

• Relevant Ecosystem Experience: Previous experience in a fast-paced start-up, scale-up, or R&D funding / science and technology ecosystem.


• Systems Thinker: Ability to build scalable operating models, playbooks, and processes across multi-disciplinary programmes.


• Domain Familiarity: Familiarity with the AI in Science landscape or complex, frontier science comms.

Benefits

• 27 days annual leave provision, with the option to buy/sell additional days


• Hybrid working arrangements; 60% in office / 40% at home


• Supportive environment for learning and development opportunities


• Enhanced family leave arrangements


• A free and confidential 24/7 employee assistance programme


• Life Assurance


• 2 days of paid volunteer days


• 5% defined contribution pension scheme with Smart Pension


• Cycle to Work scheme


• An excellent office location in Kings X, London