ARIA

Empowers bold innovators to expand possibilities

Funding and Contracts Manager

Contract ManagementPosted on Nov 11

Full-timeLondon, UK

About the Job

Requirements

Hands-on experience in a funding, investment, or comparable operation, covering work from running a call or selection process through to signed agreement.
Ability to coordinate due diligence and approvals across several teams, meet deadlines, manage several live calls or awards at once, and maintain high-quality work and attention to detail.
Understanding of fair, well-documented selection processes and ability to guide colleagues through them while keeping clear records of decisions.
Understanding of funding agreements and ability to explain obligations and milestones clearly to non-specialists.
Commercial astuteness and numeracy, including the ability to check costs, budgets, and milestones and judge value for money.
Good judgement and comfort working with incomplete information; ability to make routine decisions independently and recognize when senior or specialist input is needed.
Clear writing and communication skills; ability to work across teams and explain funding and contract issues in practical terms to colleagues and Creators.
Hands-on, low-ego approach to work and ability to solve problems in uncertain situations.

Responsibilities

Work with Programme Directors from early in a programme to develop a practical funding plan, including structuring opportunities and determining how proposals will be assessed.
Prepare and run funding calls by refining eligibility criteria, producing application guidance, setting timetables, setting up the application platform, managing applicant communications, and guiding programme teams through project selection so funding decisions are fair and offer value for money.
Move selected projects to signed awards promptly while maintaining high quality and attention to detail, including carrying out due diligence and coordinating budget checks, approvals, milestones, and signatures.
Manage the handover of signed awards to programme teams and help Creators understand their funding agreements, ARIA’s ways of working, and project expectations.
Help programme teams identify appropriate funding routes when programmes or projects change significantly, including follow-on efforts or top-ups, and assist with post-award variations.
Work with programme teams, Finance, Legal, and Comms to maintain a shared view of upcoming calls and awards, agreed terms, and delays.
Maintain clear records and audit trails, and improve guidance, call templates, and tools to make repeat work easier and more consistent.
Resolve routine funding and contracting issues independently and escalate issues that could create significant financial, legal, or reputational risk.

Desired Qualifications

Direct experience of research or R&D programme funding.
Experience working with public money or government grant requirements.
Experience working with agreements involving intellectual property, publication rights, or collaboration terms.
Experience using data, automation, or AI tools to reduce administration or improve funding decisions.

Salary: c. £60,000
Bonus: Discretionary
Location: Kings Cross, London (Tuesdays-Thursdays - 3 days in our office, Monday + Friday - anywhere)
Employment Type: Permanent, full time

About ARIA

ARIA is 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 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.

If you want to help make breakthroughs like these possible, come and build ARIA with us.

Learn more here.

Role Summary

As Commercial & Funding Contracts Manager, you will help turn ARIA’s programme ideas into funding calls and signed awards. You will work with Programme Directors, programme teams, and the Director of Commercial & Funding Operations to run funding calls, guide teams through project selection, and turn selected projects into signed awards as quickly as possible. You will help Creators (the researchers and teams ARIA funds) understand their agreements and how ARIA works. You will also help improve the guidance and tools the team relies on. This role would suit someone who has helped take funding or investment from an open call or selection process through to signed agreement, whether at a research funder, a VC or investment firm, a university research contracting function, a government commercial function, or somewhere similar, and who enjoys keeping complex work moving at pace.

The scope of the role will evolve as ARIA continues to grow, but will broadly involve the following:

Work with Programme Directors from the early stages of a programme to help develop a practical funding plan, including how opportunities should be structured and how proposals will be assessed.
Prepare and run funding calls, including refining eligibility criteria, producing application guidance, setting realistic timetables, setting up the application platform, managing applicant communications, and guiding programme teams through project selection so that funding decisions are fair and offer value for money.
Move selected projects to signed awards as quickly as possible while maintaining high quality standards and attention to detail, carrying out due diligence and coordinating budget checks, approvals, milestones, and signatures.
Manage the handover of signed awards to the programme team, helping make sure Creators understand their funding agreement, ARIA’s ways of working, and what’s expected of them once their project starts.
Help programme teams find the right funding route when programmes or projects change significantly, including follow-on efforts or top-ups to existing projects, and assist with post-award activities such as variations.
Work closely with programme teams, Finance, Legal, and Comms so everyone has a shared view of upcoming calls and awards, what has been agreed, and where things are held up.
Keep clear records and audit trails, and help improve the guidance, call templates, and tools that make repeat work easier and help the team work consistently.
Resolve routine funding and contracting issues independently, and escalate anything that could expose ARIA to significant financial, legal, or reputational risk.

Essential Criteria

You have hands-on experience in a funding, investment, or comparable operation, covering the work from running a call or selection process through to signed agreement.
You are highly organised. You can coordinate due diligence and approvals across several teams, keep work moving to a deadline, and manage several live calls or awards at once, all while delivering high quality work and maintaining keen attention to detail.
You understand what makes a selection process fair and well documented, can guide colleagues through one, and keep a clear record of decisions.
You understand how funding agreements work, and can explain obligations and milestones clearly to people who aren’t specialists.
You are commercially astute and numerate. You can check costs, budgets, and milestones, and judge whether an award offers value for money.
You have good judgement and are comfortable working with incomplete information. You can make routine decisions independently and recognise when an issue needs senior or specialist input.
You are a clear writer and communicator who works well across teams, and can explain funding and contract issues in simple, practical terms to colleagues and Creators.
You have a good-humoured, low-ego, and hands-on approach to work, and enjoy solving problems when things are uncertain.

Desirable Criteria

You have direct experience of research or R&D programme funding.
You have worked with public money or government grant requirements.
You have worked with agreements where intellectual property, publication rights, or collaboration terms were important.
You have used data, automation, or AI tools to reduce administration or improve decisions about funding activity.

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.

About the Company

ARIA

Empowers bold innovators to expand possibilities

ARIA helps ambitious people reach beyond what seems possible. It empowers individuals who take courageous steps toward big goals by providing support and resources to unlock their potential. ARIA focuses on enabling progress for high achievers, rather than serving broad, general audiences. Its goal is to help people move from what is probable to what is possible, guiding them toward meaningful advancement.

Company size: 51-200
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Founded: Not listed

Recently Posted Jobs

Explore more opportunities at ARIA

See more jobs