Strategic Communications Director - Future Proofing Our Climate + Weather (FPCW)

ARIA; Greater London; On-site; GBP 115,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK R&D funding agency is seeking a Communications Architect to lead the global engagement and narrative strategy for climate research. This role involves developing communications plans, managing budgets, and ensuring transparency in research activities. The ideal candidate should have strong skills in communication strategy design and public engagement, and be motivated by the mission to drive innovative research strategies. Join a forward-thinking team at the forefront of climate science and technology.

Benefits

Defined contribution pension with 5% employer contribution

27 days annual leave

Life assurance coverage

Cycle to Work scheme

Paid volunteer leave

Qualifications

• Experience in developing communication strategies for high-stakes projects.
• Ability to engage diverse audiences effectively.
• Strong understanding of climate science and technology.

Responsibilities

• Develop and run communications and engagement plans for the climate programme.
• Manage a budget and commission partner activities.
• Ensure transparent, responsible research communication.

Skills

Communication strategy design

Public engagement

Crisis communications

Budget management

Media handling

Job description

Description

Salary : £115,000

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

Employment Type : 2 years fixed term contract (possibility of extension, depending on the Programme)

Closing Date : 18.01.26

Application : We’d love to hear about your passions and how you’ll make an impact here - please include a CV and cover letter with your application - we consider it an essential part of getting to know you.

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

This role will be embedded within the Future Proofing our Climate + Weather (FPCW) team , serving as the architect of global engagement, communications, and narrative strategy across the opportunity space and its affiliated programmes. You will be the thought partner to the Programme Director, Mark Symes, co-developing the strategies that ensure this research is conducted transparently, responsibly, and for the public benefit.

What You’ll Do

• Develop and run, in coordination with ARIA’s Director of Communications and Engagement, the communications and engagement plan for the FPCW opportunity space and Exploring Climate Cooling (ECC) programme, integrating all external-facing activities - including public engagement, Oversight Committee communications, and media strategy - to set a global standard for transparent, responsible research.
• Look after a budget, with authority to commission partners, fund novel engagement activities, and deploy resources to advance the opportunity space and the programme’s strategic goals.

Manage a dedicated communications partner, directing their execution of the ECC programme's communications and engagement core materials. Enforcing a rigorous quality standard, you will partner with this firm to support the :

• Drafting of all public-facing communications, including core narratives, FAQs, media handling and briefings.
• Advising funded Creators on their own comms plans and advising on the delivery of those plans.
• When necessary, assisting Creator teams with responding to inbound media enquiries.
• Reviewing and offering constructive feedback on Creator teams' engagement plans and activities.
• Development of comms materials or plans for new initiatives in the programme and opportunity space (e.g. opportunity seeds, IP pledge, databases for results.)
• In consultation with ARIA’s central communications team, you’ll pioneer and direct innovative communications strategies that move beyond traditional media. You will be empowered to explore new formats, messengers, and platforms (e.g., targeted digital-native video, influencer engagement, and new advocate cultivation) to meet diverse audiences where they are.
• Develop and own the opportunity space’s high-level reputational risk register and crisis communications framework, offering advice to the Programme Director and ARIA management, and ensuring coordination with ARIA’s Director of Communications and Engagement during emerging issues.
• Act as a trusted spokesperson for the opportunity space and the programme in high-stakes external forums, workshops, updates to the Oversight Committee, and on-background media engagements, in coordination with the Programme Director.
• Together with the Programme Director and other Programme team members, develop the long-term legacy strategy for the ECC programme. You will work to mature the public understanding of climate cooling approaches, pushing to create an environment where responsible, transparent research (in line with the ECC's principles) can be recognised.
• Draw on expertise from climate science, policy, and civil society to elicit critical feedback on FPCW’s communications and engagement strategies, including working with the policy lead on the ECC programme to ensure alignment on strategic policy engagement.
• Support and manage the Comms and Engagement outputs of our engagement training service provider, The Liminal Space.
• Work with ARIA’s central comms team to oversee the design and maintenance of the ECC programme and FPCW opportunity space webpages.

Who You Are

You go beyond traditional PR to help shape how emerging science and technology are understood. You’re interested in how frontier research reaches the world, and motivated by making complex, unfamiliar ideas clear and accessible to wider audiences.

ARIA operates on a principle of bold, responsible research. You are someone who believes that the best way to handle complex scientific topics (like the exploration of climate cooling) is through transparency and openness, not gatekeeping.

You are a doer who can pivot from advising high profile scientists on their media strategy to developing new comms formats that communicate complex ideas clearly. You don't need a massive internal team to get things done; you collaborate with partners and use your own expertise to move at pace.

You understand that in frontier science, the messenger is as important as the message. You have a sophisticated understanding of the sociopolitical landscape surrounding climate science and civil society, allowing you to anticipate friction before it happens.

What We’re Looking For

You design communication strategies for projects with long time horizons and high stakes. You can see the legacy of a programme five years before it's finished.

While you don't need to be a climate scientist, science fluency is highly valued. You can dive into the technicalities of an opportunity space and emerge with a narrative that is both scientifically accurate and compelling.

You have successfully deployed non-traditional tactics, perhaps working with digital creators, building niche advocacy networks, or using interactive media to reach audiences that traditional institutions miss.

You’ve supported organisations through moments of intense scrutiny and complexity. You can provide calm, clear advice to senior leaders, helping them navigate uncertainty, trade-offs, and public accountability when there are no easy answers.

You know how to get the absolute best out of external firms. You set a quality standard for every FAQ, briefing note, and digital asset, ensuring that everything ARIA puts out reflects a world-class R&D agency.

Scientific Soul : You are motivated by the mission to change the trajectory of the future.

Speed & Agility : You prefer "done and iterating" over "perfect and obsolete."

Open Honesty : You are willing to question or raise concerns with the Programme Director or the central comms team if you believe a strategy is wrong.

Benefits

Pension : A defined contribution pension scheme with a 5% employer contribution.

Annual Leave : 27 days per year, in addition to statutory bank holidays and the option to buy or sell up to three days of leave.

Wellbeing & Support

• Access to a free, confidential 24 / 7 employee assistance programme.
• Life Assurance coverage equivalent to three times your annual base salary.

Additional Benefits

• Participation in the Cycle to Work scheme.
• Two days of paid volunteer leave annually.
• Enhanced family leave arrangements.

Not sure you meet 100% of our criteria? Don’t worry. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We want to attract the broadest array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you’re new to this, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar.

Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interests and what you hope to bring to this role.

If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please notify us and we will make every effort to accommodate you. Disclosing any requests are intended to provide ARIA with the best opportunity to support candidates and will have no negative impact on your recruitment process.

ARIA adopts a highly considered approach to ethical and social responsibility. You can read our policy here .

Our research and development activity will abide by the 3Rs principle. You can read about those here .

ARIA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration. We are an inclusive workplace that values diversity.