Application Deadline: 4 October 2026

Department: People Operations

Location: London

Compensation: £85,000 / year

Description

Salary: £85,000

Bonus: Discretionary

Location: Kings Cross, London(Tuesdays-Thursdays - 3 days at HQ, Monday + Friday - home)

Employment Type: Permanent, full time

Closing Date: 04.10.26

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

Learn more about how we work here.

We are seeking an experienced and thoughtful Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) Lead to continue to help shape how our organisation operates, grows and delivers impact. This role will work across every part of the organisation, ensuring that equity is embedded not only in our people practices, but also in our funding approaches, governance, partnerships, programmes, events and decision-making processes.

The successful candidate will act as both a strategic advisor and a practical change-maker, helping us examine who benefits from our work, who may be excluded, and how we can build more equitable systems and experiences for our team and communities.

What You'll Do

Strategic Leadership

Develop and lead ARIA's ED&I strategy and implementation plan.
Develop and direct our approach to diversity in our funding.
Embed equity considerations into organisational strategy, planning, and decision-making.
Provide expert advice and challenge to senior leaders, managers and teams.
Monitor emerging best practice, legislation, and sector developments relating to equity, diversity and inclusion.
Lead the established highly collaborative, ED&I working group with stakeholders from across functions.

Empower Internal Operations

Review internal policies, processes and systems through an equity lens.
Identify structural barriers and recommend practical improvements across recruitment, progression, procurement, communications, governance and workplace culture.
Support teams to undertake equitable decision-making and impact assessments.
Develop tools, frameworks, and guidance that help colleagues embed inclusive practice in their day-to-day work.

Inclusive Funding Approach

Work with procurement and senior management teams to examine how funding strategies align with organisational values and equity commitments.
Work with the special projects lead to increase the diversity of applicants to our funding calls, primarily via the discovery process owned by programme directors.
Review funding criteria, application processes, and decision-making frameworks.
Assess funding processes to ensure they reflect inclusive and accessible practices.
Help ARIA consider the equity implications of who we fund, how resources are distributed and who benefits from investment.
Evaluate potential bias in assessment panels and scoring systems, especially looking at the impact of AI on bias.
Design and run experiments to increase ED&I in ARIA’s funding pool - working directly with funding recipients, providing them with recommendations on how to pro-actively increase diversity as they hire into their teams.
Evaluate pay and conditions (stipends / payscales) across early career funding recipients / researchers and PhD students funded by ARIA and make recommendations for improvements that are still in line with MPM (Managing Public Money) principles.

Events & External Engagement

Lead the development of inclusive and accessible approaches to events, conferences, consultations and public-facing activities for both ARIA-owned and external events. Ensure owned events consider accessibility, representation, participation, safeguarding, affordability and cultural inclusion from design through to delivery, in collaboration with our Events team.
Evaluate speaker diversity, representation, and participation, alongside our Communications & Engagement team.
Identify barriers to participation for underrepresented groups.
Gather and act upon participant feedback to improve experiences for diverse audiences.
Create a framework on constructive challenge to host organisations (where ARIA would be represented) that don’t meet our ED&I standard.

Data, Learning & Accountability

Develop meaningful approaches to measuring progress on ED&I commitments.
Evaluate data and feedback to identify trends, opportunities and areas for improvement.
Produce reports and recommendations for Programme Directors and Operational Leads.
Foster a culture of continuous learning, reflection and accountability.

Culture & Capability Building

Design and deliver training, workshops and learning opportunities.
Support managers and teams to build confidence in discussing and addressing equity-related issues.
Promote a culture of belonging, curiosity and continuous improvement.
Facilitate difficult conversations with sensitivity, credibility and pragmatism.

Who You Are

We expect the successful candidate to bring many of the following:

You have significant experience directing or influencing organisational change relating to equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-discrimination and intersectionality.
You have measurable experience reviewing systems, policies, and organisational practices to improve equity outcomes.
You have significant experience embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion principles within R&D funding, including in the design, assessment, or delivery of funding programmes and processes.
You have strong facilitation, stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.
You have experience using data, evidence and lived experience insights to inform decision-making.
You can deliver at pace with unshakable composure, ensuring that professional respect remains a constant regardless of the stakes. You lead by example, setting a clear institutional standard for how you interact and navigate friction.
You have the ability to balance strategic thinking with practical implementation.
You have excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
You have the ability to challenge constructively and build trust across different teams and levels of seniority.

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.

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Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Lead