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Director of Communications and Marketing

Salary: c.£120,000
Bonus: discretionary
Location: Kings Cross, London (Tuesdays-Thursdays - in our office, Monday and Friday - your choice)
Employment Type: We plan for this role to be full-time, but we’re open to discussing flexible working arrangements

About ARIA

ARIA funds breakthrough R&D for society. With an unprecedented level of independence and operational freedom, we are rethinking how to best support scientists and engineers whose work can change the world. 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

We are looking for a founding Director of Communications & Marketing to build and run ARIA’s Comms & Marketing function from the ground up. This individual will own the organisation’s strategic external brand positioning and comms/marketing strategy - coordinating activities (and external agencies) across design, digital, copy/editorial, PR, and events. You’ll need a small team and ensure they are feeling empowered to drive success. This role will report to ARIA’s CEO and work closely with ARIA’s executive team.

What you’ll do

Own ARIA’s strategic external brand positioning:

• Develop and maintain ARIA’s brand identity and voice
• Ensure accurate representation across the agency, its partners and externally
• Build and manage core brand assets and foundational collateral
• Design and oversee production of ARIA’s flagship event(s) and public report(s)

Own ARIA’s communications and marketing strategy, optimising distribution channels, media, messaging, and content for key audiences:

• Produce ARIA’s annual strategic communications calendar
• Manage regular comms outputs across newsletters, social platforms, etc
• Manage milestone announcements, strategic media, etc
• Own ARIA’s website

Identify and manage external agencies/partners to execute on the above strategy:

• Find, evaluate and integrate outsourced resources to meet the agency’s needs across design, digital, copy/editorial, PR and events
• Effectively define and manage these relationships, setting project requirements and measuring success throughout delivery
• Coordinate seamlessly across multiple partners and projects, + internal workstreams

Oversee programme comms across ARIA’s DRIVE and BUILD programmes:

• Manage a Comms & Marketing Lead and other resources focused on developing and implementing comms & branding strategy for all programmatic activities and emerging modes
• Oversee comms and engagement for programmatic events - from workshops, to large scale launch events
• Support the establishment of the ‘ARIA Programme Director’ as an externally recognised career path and inspiring brand

Who you are

A successful candidate will bring many of the following skills/experience to the role:

• You have the ability to push the boundaries and deliver impactful campaigns
• You have a track record of success and ownership in a communications/marketing function within a high-growth/high complexity or early stage organisation
• You have the proven ability to lead a small, diverse, and agile team to outsized performance (coordinating multiple work streams, delivering to tight deadlines, holding people accountable)
• You have end-to-end experience managing and coordinating external agencies/contractors to execute against strategic goals
• You ideally have some experience working with scientific/innovation/deep-tech communities or familiarity with the UK's R&D ecosystem (stakeholders, incentives, culture, policy environment)
• You’re excited by, and ideally have experience in a fast-paced, early-stage startup work environment.
• You are passionate about improving the world with science, and highly motivated by the opportunity to build an iconic brand and world-changing community.

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.