Interim Head of Programme Communication and Engagement
Hybrid London Contract Director Communications
At a glance
Director-level Communications role at ARIA. London · contract · £95,000 base.
SalaryStated by ARIA
£95,000
Base salary for this role, in GBP per year, as published in the posting.
This role, from ARIAOur estimate for the market: £47,000–£111,000Median £66,000
Above the market median of £66,000 for lead communications roles in London.
Worked out from 11 postings that stated pay, median £66,000. Last updated Mar 10, 2026.
RoleCommunications
SeniorityDirector
LocationLondon
WorkplaceHybrid
EmploymentContract
Base pay£95,000
PostedSep 24, 2026 · 3w ago
Role brief
growthroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Set the programme communications strategy and build narratives linking opportunity spaces to institutional goals
- Lead four communications staff and contractors while setting standards, allocating resources, and developing capability
- Shape programme stories across owned and earned channels, including launches, milestones, and Creator announcements
- Advise Programme Directors and senior leaders on sensitive issues, positioning, framing, and reputational risk
- Serve as communications partner for one programme while contributing to AI in Science strategy and wider institutional messaging
What you bring
- A proven record creating programme communications strategies and narrative frameworks tied to high-level organisational goals
- Experience managing communications teams and contractors, including cross-functional standards and resource decisions
- Senior advisory experience covering complex risks, sensitive subjects, and strategic positioning for executive or programme leaders
- Strong independent judgement, meticulous editing, and the ability to deliver accurate storytelling across owned and earned channels
Who this fits
You’ll suit a senior communications leader who can shape strategy while managing a team and advising programme leadership. The role is a twelve-month full-time fixed-term contract based in London, with attendance at Kings Cross headquarters from Tuesday through Thursday and flexible location on Monday and Friday. A cover letter is required with the application.
From the employer
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.
Learn more about how we work here.
Role Summary
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. The scope of the role will evolve as ARIA continues to grow, but will broadly involve the following:
Essential criteria
Desirable criteria
Please submit your current CV and a cover letter detailing your suitability. We pride ourselves on reviewing every application personally.
Note: A cover letter is required to be considered.
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.
Learn more about how we work here.
Role Summary
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. The scope of the role will evolve as ARIA continues to grow, but will broadly involve the following:
- 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.
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.
Please submit your current CV and a cover letter detailing your suitability. We pride ourselves on reviewing every application personally.
Note: A cover letter is required to be considered.
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