Technical Specialist - Applied Immunology

Application Deadline:

21 September 2025Department:

ProgrammesEmployment Type:

Fixed Term - Full TimeLocation:

LondonCompensation:

£68,000 - £99,000 / year

Description

Salary Levels:

c.£68,000, c.£85,000, c.£99,000 (eventual offers will be based on benchmarked experience levels in combination with our selection criteria)

Location:

Kings X, London; Tues - Thurs (3 days) at HQ, Monday + Friday, anywhere

Employment Type:

Full-timeContract:

3 years fixed-term (with the possibility for extension)Closing Date:

21.09.25

About ARIA

ARIA is a new kind of RandD funding agency. 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 RandD in new ways, so we can meet these head on.

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

As an ARIA Technical Specialist, you will have the rare chance to catalyse breakthroughs that could change the world. You''ll sit alongside Programme Director Brian Wang and their Programme Specialist on ARIA''s Sustained Viral Resilience programme. You’ll be exposed to every aspect of the programme''s technical management from design through approval, project selection, and delivery.

We’re looking for an adaptable technical professional who’s strongly motivated by the opportunity to catalyse a technological step change. You’ll be working in a bold, talented and agile team, funding projects (‘Creators’) across the entire RandD ecosystem, from startups to universities, in the pursuit of groundbreaking advancements that will shape the future of science and technology.

Meet Brian Wang

Brian Wang is a member of ARIA’s second cohort of Programme Directors. He is a scientist and entrepreneur with a background in organic chemistry, synthetic biology, and drug and vaccine development for pandemic viruses. Prior to ARIA he co-founded and led the nonprofit start-up Panoplia Laboratories to develop medicines for “day zero” of the next pandemic.

Brian is leading an ARIA programme to pioneer a new kind of vaccine – an “innate vaccine” – that engineers the innate immune system with increased precision, accuracy, and durability to provide broad protection against many viruses at once.

Find out more about what they’re working on

here

.

“With this programme, we have the opportunity to bring an entirely new kind of medicine into the world. We’re looking for someone who can thrive at the intersection between fundamental immunology and translational medicine – if that’s you, we’d love for you to join us.”Brian Wang , Programme DirectorWhat 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

Act as the technical lead, with the Programme Director and their Programme Specialist, to shape and deliver a bold programme of research aimed at enabling the development of “innate vaccines”.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.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.Be the technical bridge between the PD and functional teams, ensuring execution aligns with the needs of the ecosystem''s understanding of the programme.

Connecting the Programme to the Ecosystem

Represent the programme, often on behalf of the Programme Director, at events, workshops and talks.Build trusted relationships with world-class researchers, labs, and founders working at the forefront of the programme’s focus area.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 Technical Specialists (‘T-Specs’), sharing best practices and learnings between programmes to strengthen ARIA’s portfolio of work.Help build and sustain ARIA’s scientific and operational culture.

Who you are

Essential Criteria

You have a strong understanding of innate immune mechanisms for antiviral protection.You have familiarity with mechanisms of viral pathogenesis across various viruses.You have a strong understanding of the drug and vaccine development process.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 translationHighly 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 first-hand exposure to developing immunotherapeutics.You have produced large immunological datasets and have analysed them using computational tools.You have a strong understanding of the state-of-the-art in synthetic biology, drug delivery technologies, and

in vitro

models of tissue biology.You are well-connected to relevant players across biotech and pharma.You have worked in both academia and biotech.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 have a strong working knowledge of the UK RandD 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; immunology, virology.Benefits

27 days annual leave provision, with the option to buy/sell additional daysHybrid working arrangements; 60% in office / 40% at homeSupportive environment for learning and development opportunitiesEnhanced family leave arrangementsA free and confidential 24/7 employee assistance programme2 days of paid volunteer days5% defined contribution pension scheme with Smart PensionCycle to Work schemeAn 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 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

here

. Our research and development activity will abide by the 3Rs principle. You can read about those

here

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