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-time
Contract: 3 years fixed-term (with the possibility for extension)
Closing Date: 12.08.25

MEET RICO CHANDRA

Rico Chandra is a member of ARIA’s second cohort of Programme Directors. Rico is an entrepreneur and competitive cross-country paraglider pilot with a PhD in physics. He has co-founded hardware startups, worked on several DARPA Programs and worked closely with Venture Capitals.
Rico is developing an ARIA programme to develop the capability and use cases for atmospherically powered, long endurance aircraft.
Find out more about what they’re working on here.
“I’m definitely more of a hardware than software person. I have a decent understanding of weather and of aerodynamics. I’m looking for a leader with a broad technical reach, especially in areas like mesh communication, satellite payloads, positioning navigation & timing, and the software relevant to this ambitious programme. Join me for what may be the most exciting years of your career.”
Rico Chandra, Programme Director

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; physics, electrical and electronic engineering, aerospace engineering, photonics or optical engineering, remote sensing, GNC (Guidance, Navigation and Control), artificial intelligence.

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 Rico Chandra and their Programme Specialist on a programme emerging from ARIA’s Scoping Our Planet Opportunity Space. 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 & agile team, funding projects across the entire R&D ecosystem, from startups to universities, in the pursuit of groundbreaking advancements that will shape the future of science & technology.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

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