Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)
Head of Executive Engagement
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Application Deadline: 4 September 2026
Department: Communications and Engagement
Location: London
Compensation: £95,000 / year
Description
Salary: Circa £95,000
Bonus: Discretionary
Location: Kings X, London; Tues - Thurs (3 days) at HQ, Monday + Friday, anywhere
Employment Type: Permanent, full time
Closing Date: 4th September 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
As Head of Executive Engagement, you will shape how ARIA’s CEO and broader executive team are heard, seen, and positioned in the public domain. You will ensure ARIA’s leadership communicates with clarity, coherence, and impact across every significant external moment.
In practice, the day-to-day centre of gravity will be with the CEO, where you will serve as an external-facing chief of staff: shaping how she communicates the organisation’s mission, setting the strategic direction of her external programme, and being at her side for the moments that matter — providing real-time counsel, triage, and follow-through.
This is a high-trust, senior advisory role that blends communications strategy with political intelligence and hands-on engagement support. A critical part of the role is ensuring strategic discipline across the CEO’s external activity. You will ensure there is a clear purpose behind every significant commitment of the CEO’s time and visibility, and that her external programme actively supports ARIA’s strategic objectives.
The role sits within the Communications & Engagement function and works in close partnership with the Lead EA who supports the Chief Executive.
What You’ll Do
The scope of the role will evolve as ARIA continues to grow, but will broadly involve the following:
Executive communications and public voice
- Own the quality, coherence, and ambition of the CEO’s external communications.
- Lead the development of speeches, keynotes, conference remarks, op-eds, and major presentations for the CEO and other members of the executive team.
- Brief and direct an external agency to support the production of executive communications.
- Design and manage an integrated executive visibility programme.
- Build and sustain the CEO's distinctive public voice.
- Provide coaching and preparation support for senior spokespeople.
- Own the strategic direction of the CEO’s public social media presence.
- Develop and maintain reference materials, positioning guides, and self-service resources.
- Ensure a consistently high standard across all executive-level external outputs.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
R&D ecosystem and policy landscape
- Identify and translate pertinent developments across the UK R&D ecosystem, science funding, and the wider policy environment into implications for the CEO's positioning and outputs.
- Provide reputational counsel — identifying risks, surfacing opportunities, and advising on timing and framing.
- Work with the executive team to define their distinct external profiles, areas of emphasis, and target audiences.
- Ensure clarity across the executive team on external roles and responsibilities for major public moments.
- Be the key point of coordination and triage for inbound policy and ecosystem stakeholder requests.
- Lead the CEO's preparation for high-stakes government-facing engagements.
- Draft reactive lines, positioning statements, and public-facing outputs for the CEO as required.
- Collaborate closely with ARIA’s wider communications and engagement team to ensure alignment between executive outputs and institutional messaging.
Senior engagement leadership
- Develop the framework and criteria for evaluating external engagement opportunities.
- Accompany the CEO to key external events, conferences, and high-level meetings, providing real-time support and triage.
- Manage the flow of requests, introductions, and approaches around the CEO.
- Help map, develop, and maintain the CEO’s network across research, policy, government, industry, and media.
- Provide the CEO with ongoing intelligence on the people and dynamics relevant to ARIA’s external position.
- Define success metrics for executive engagement and evaluate the impact of the executive team’s external programme over time.
- Work in close partnership with the Lead EA to ensure joined-up coordination across diary, engagements, and logistics.
Who You Are
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
We expect the successful candidate to bring many of the following:
- Significant experience in a senior advisory, executive communications, or chief of staff capacity.
- Exceptional writing skills with the ability to inhabit another person's voice.
- Policy-literate with deep familiarity with the UK R&D, science policy, and innovation landscape.
- Strong instincts and networks across the media, research, and industry landscape.
- Judgement and discretion to operate as a trusted advisor to a CEO.
- Interpersonal confidence to offer candid counsel when needed.
- Comfort in high-profile, fast-moving environments.
- Ability to deliver at pace with composure.
How to apply
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.
Benefits
- 27 days annual leave provision, with the option to buy/sell additional days
- Hybrid working arrangements; 60% in office / 40% at home
- Discretionary bonus
- 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
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 the field, 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.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills
Location