Director of Operations, Aria
£127k
+ Discretionary Bonus
More information about location
3 days a week in office (Kings Cross, London)
Science-focussed R&D funding agency
Be an early applicant
Science-focussed R&D funding agency
21-100 employees
Be an early applicant
£127k
+ Discretionary Bonus
More information about location
3 days a week in office (Kings Cross, London)
21-100 employees
Company mission
To empower scientists to reach for the edge of the possible.
Role
Who you are
- A bold, authentic and intentional leadership skillset with a clear ability to create highly engaged and high performing teams
- Strong communicator and exceptional stakeholder management skills with the ability to bring others into shared vision
- Confidence and expertise in process design and implementation
- Enthusiastic, motivated, adaptable and proactive with the ability to work flexibly in a changing environment
- Highly resilient, ability to deliver at pace whilst ensuring others execute agreed plans
- Passionate about creating a high-performance operating environment
- Calm and authoritative under pressure and able to act quickly and decisively when required
- Success as a strategic operational leader of scaling and/or complex organisation/s with a strong product or technical focus
- Evidenced experience in understanding and implementing systems across an organisation, and comfort with cutting-edge software/productivity tools
- Experience of implementing information security, governance and risk management principles which optimise for risk and pace
- Significant cross-functional stakeholder management experience
What the job involves
- This is ARIA’s inaugural Director of Operations
- Reporting to the Chief Finance and Operations Officer, you will lead on ARIA’s internal operations strategy and drive operational excellence across all our systems and processes, in close collaboration with our functional leads
- You will have an entrepreneurial mindset, be willing to take calculated risks and have a passion for scaling an organisation intentionally
- Deliver a user-focussed, expert and responsive service to the organisation, balancing ARIA’s values with an understanding of efficient processes and delivery priorities
- ‘Connect the dots’ between teams by owning ARIA's internal, cross-functional collaboration and efficiency
- You’ll be a passionate strategist - carrying out process mapping, looking for system bottlenecks, pressure points and opportunities across all our functions, and acting as point person for cross-functional alignments
- Own the ‘operational cadence’ of the organisation, overseeing delivery timelines and pace of output, ensuring we are delivering on our strategic goals
- Oversee the Information, Data and Insights team, responsible for information security, our outsourced IT managed service provider, ensuring quality of service for our team, and building strategy on the evolution of the systems and operating procedures of the organisation for optimal efficiency
- Oversee our Project Management Office - implementing clear programme delivery timelines and streamlining efficiency in our programmatic delivery and project reporting
- Work closely with the Executive team, making recommendations on ARIA’s internal operational strategy, implementing best practices and driving the outcomes needed to succeed in our strategic goals
- Lead on our technology roadmap design and implementation
- Ensure ARIA maximises the use of advanced technologies, AI-enabled tools and robust data and knowledge management practices
- Gain buy-in from internal stakeholders to ensure the smooth adoption of and transition between new processes and systems
- Implement effective and timely project pivoting on internal projects (change requests, early terminations and closures)
- Ensure that periods of increased demand are anticipated and planned
Application process
- Closing Date For Applications: Tuesday 6 May 2025
- Please upload your most recent CV and a cover letter. In your cover letter, please detail your experience and skills relevant to this role, as well as your reasons for applying
Salary benchmarks
Our take
ARIA, also known as the Advanced Research and Invention Agency, is an investment agency that supports ambitious, cutting-edge science and technology projects with the hope to “transcend conventional limits”.
For innovation to keep moving at the pace we've become accustomed to, a lot of organisation, research and funding is required. ARIA, which is government funded, sets out to find projects that will have the most public benefit and impact. It's backed by an £800mn budget and is targeting areas such as artificial intelligence, neuroscience and materials.
Drawing inspiration from successful US counterparts like Darpa and Arpa-E, ARIA aims to act outside of traditional bureaucratic constraints. Despite facing criticism for its delayed launch, the initiative reflects a refreshing departure from the norm and we’re excited to see what the company's future holds.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Company
Company benefits
- Discretionary performance related pay arrangements
- 25 days annual leave provision, with the option to buy/sell an additional 5 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
- 2 days of paid volunteer days
- 5% defined contribution pension scheme with Smart Pension
- An excellent office location in Kings X, London
Company HQ
London, UK
Leadership
Ilan Gur
(CEO)Schmidt Futures Innovation Fellow. Previously Founder and CEO of Activate.org, and Founder of Cyclotron Road through Berkeley Lab.
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