Science and Technology Lead - AI for Chemistry (Digital Olfaction)

£70,000 – £105,000 per year (offers will be calibrated on benchmarked experience levels and assessment against our selection criteria)

Location: Kings X, London; Tue – Thu (3 days) at HQ, Mon + Fri, anywhere

Employment type: Full‑time; Contract: Permanent

About ARIA: A new R&D funding agency built 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 the 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. If you want to help make breakthroughs like these possible, come and build ARIA with us.

Application Deadline: 28 June 2026

Role Summary: As an ARIA Science and Technology Lead, you will have the rare chance to catalyze breakthroughs that could change the world. You'll sit alongside Programme Director Claire Donoghue and their Programme Specialist on ARIA’s Hypersensory Intelligence: Olfactory Perception programme. You’ll be exposed to every aspect of the programme’s technical management from design through approval, project selection, and delivery. Your impact will extend beyond a single programme; you will play a key role in strengthening the wider Extending Our Perception opportunity space, with a deep, evolving understanding of programmes and projects over time. As Programme Directors join the opportunity space and new programmes are launched, you will surface insights that build on existing ARIA‑funded technologies, accelerate discovery, and turn past lessons into future breakthroughs, maximizing impact across the portfolio. We’re looking for an adaptable technical professional who’s strongly motivated by the opportunity to catalyze a technological step change.

What You’ll Do: The scope of the role will evolve as ARIA continues to grow, but will broadly involve the following:

• Technical Programme Advisory and Support: Build a general‑purpose artificial “sense of smell” that matches or exceeds biological performance, transforming how we detect and interpret high‑dimensional chemical signals to unlock breakthroughs across health, food, and the environment. Review project proposals, grant applications, assess technical milestones, and stay close to the ground on what’s being built and tested by Creator teams. Plan, lead, and contribute to technical discussions in project meetings, workshops, and formal reviews, bringing depth, challenge, and direction to every interaction. Provide evidence‑based technical insight to the Programme Director and the ARIA team to support high‑quality decisions and sharpen the programme’s strategic direction. Confidently communicate complex scientific ideas surrounding the programme to stakeholders, from government and funders to key players across the ecosystem. Contribute technical prowess in application areas for robot locomotion (e.g., inspection & maintenance, construction, etc.) and other cutting‑edge capabilities within the program, amplifying its overall effectiveness. Identify emerging trends and surface the most promising technologies, people, and ideas across the programme and its surrounding opportunity space. Co‑author white papers, open calls, and technical reviews that articulate the ambition of the programme and set a clear, compelling vision for external communities. Work closely with the Programme Specialist and Creator teams to drive project delivery, tracking against ambitious technical milestones, benchmarking progress against the state of the art, and spotting opportunities for research cross‑pollination to sustain momentum. Provide continuity to the opportunity space, and maintain a deep understanding of past and present programmes, and Creator projects, to help new Programme Directors build on what has worked, avoid what hasn’t, and leverage existing technologies and insights.
• Connecting the Programme to the Ecosystem: Represent the programme, often on behalf of the Programme Director, at events, workshops and talks. Bring together cross‑disciplinary communities working across both AI algorithm development and hardware development. Support the broader opportunity space by identifying and developing innovative ways to expand it, bringing in new ideas, talent, and opportunities that deliver long‑term value beyond the immediate needs of one programme. Build trusted relationships with world‑class researchers, labs, and founders working at the forefront of the programme’s focus area, as well as the broader opportunity space. Work closely with ARIA’s Activation Partners to ensure Creator teams can access the right tools, platforms, and networks to accelerate translation and achieve impact beyond ARIA’s direct reach.
• Define and Cultivate ARIA’s Technical Culture: Collaborate across ARIA on funding models, budgets, tooling, and operational mechanisms to support effective, flexible funding and programme delivery. Contribute as a member of ARIA’s team of Science and Technology Leads, sharing best practices and learnings between programmes to strengthen ARIA’s overall portfolio of work. Identify opportunities to expand the opportunity space and build the connective tissue between adjacent spaces. Help build and sustain ARIA’s scientific and operational culture.

Who You Are:

Essential Criteria:

• You have first‑hand experience developing AI models for applications in chemistry, with a preference for experiences related to digital olfaction or volatile chemistry.
• You have a strong understanding of one or more of the following: sensor design, biological systems modelling, analytical chemistry and sample preparation considerations, neuroscience.
• You excel in grasping and navigating diverse technical projects.
• You excel at translating complex technical concepts and timelines to diverse stakeholders, effectively bridging gaps between diverse teams.
• You are willing to ask questions and can rapidly learn and adapt to new scientific areas, comprehending key components of new technical disciplines.
• You can uncover non‑obvious opportunities and risks, connecting teams, ideas, and research threads in novel ways that drive adoption and translation.
• Highly adaptable, you are okay with uncertainty and a fast‑paced environment.
• You comprehend and articulate complex concepts clearly and with conviction, think and communicate with structure, and interrogate ideas effectively.

Desirable Criteria:

• You have worked with advanced chemical sensing arrays, electronic noses (e‑noses), or analytical instruments (e.g., GC‑MS, PTR‑MS).
• You have experience working in a high‑performance, applied research setting, in academic or commercial environments providing deep context on translating technology for real‑world impact.
• You have successfully performed technical assignments that require unconventional or novel approaches.
• You are skilled in identifying technical bottlenecks, risk analysis and resolution, tracking technical milestones, and reporting on complex technical projects.
• You excel at indirect technical leadership; you can build trusted relationships with world‑class Creator teams and use your scientific credibility to influence, course‑correct, and push them toward ambitious goals.
• You have a strong working knowledge of the UK R&D ecosystem.

Qualifications:

You have a scientific qualification, with a preference for PhD or other deeper technical experience in one of the listed areas of interest, or similar; AI for science, chemistry or biochemistry, bioengineering.

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.
• 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 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. Please note you will be required, as and when necessary, to travel to different locations around the UK and internationally to support projects, depending on the Programme you are designated to. ARIA adopts a highly considered approach to ethical and social responsibility. You can read our policy. Our research and development activity will abide by the 3Rs principle. You can read about those.