Science and Technology Lead – AI for Chemistry, Digital Olfaction

Role Overview

• Technical Programme Advisory and Support
• building 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 your 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.

Requirements

• 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 and perspectives.
• 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
• 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 (such as industry or start-ups), providing you with deep context on translating technology for real-world impact in domains adjacent to the programme (e.g., life sciences, pharma, healthcare, food sciences or beyond).
• 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.
• 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