Systems and Operations Associate

In a world where talent can move anywhere, the UK must create the best environment for scientists and founders to build transformative companies. Despite creating many impactful inventions in biotechnology over the last 50 years, the UK’s limited biotech ecosystem and translational infrastructure have prevented it from reaching its full potential.

As an Activation Partner with ARIA, Nucleate is committed to creating and supporting a community of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs working at the cutting edge of science. We aim to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and drive the development of generation-defining biotech companies within ARIA’s Opportunity Spaces.

You are a proactive and highly organised individual who thrives on turning ambitious plans into measurable outcomes. You take ownership of end‑to‑end delivery, coordinating across people, timelines, and work streams without losing sight of the bigger picture. You’re financially literate and comfortable owning a budget, preparing reports for funders, and ensuring compliance. You’re also systems‑minded: you enjoy building the tools and processes that make delivery more reliable and scalable.

Above all, you care deeply about mission‑driven work and take pride in creating the structures that enable a community of scientists and founders to do their best work.

As Systems & Operations Associate, you will lead the delivery of Nucleate UK’s projects funded by the ARIA partnership and build the operational backbone that makes them run. This role spans end‑to‑end oversight of different projects, of financial operations, and development of the platforms and tools that support team coordination and impact reporting. You will collaborate closely with the Director of ARIA Partnership, the Global Director of Operations, and the Nucleate volunteer and FTE base to ensure programme excellence, financial accountability, and operational scalability.

• Own the end‑to‑end delivery of select ARIA‑funded projects, coordinating scheduling, communications, and logistics across all work streams.
• Key projects include:
• Lighthouse
  :
  Our proprietary biotech talent database built to identify and connect researchers, institutions, and translational actors aligned with ARIA's opportunity spaces.
• Catalyse
  : our biotech 101 educational programme delivered online across the UK.
• Lead impact reporting across programmes, tracking key milestones and outcomes to support accountability to ARIA and other stakeholders.
• Engage directly with ARIA to ensure the correct deployment and optimisation of these projects with ARIA and the wider biotech ecosystem.
• Support our student volunteers in developing datasets, templates, and other tools that feed into the wider objectives of the ARIA partnership.

• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting to support informed decision‑making and compliance for the UK in accordance with the ARIA partnership.
• Manage vendor contracts, expense processing, and payroll for the UK team, ensuring alignment with grant requirements and Nucleate’s internal policies.
• Collaborate with the Global Finance team to maintain accurate financial records and ensure timely delivery of reporting materials.
• Develop the national operational budget in coordination with UK National Directors and the Global Director of Operations.
• Prepare financial documentation for grant milestones, audits, and internal performance reviews.

• Work with the Director of ARIA Partnership to develop and maintain internal SOPs, ensuring documentation and workflows are scalable and adaptable as Nucleate UK grows.
• Create and implement tools that streamline onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement, ensuring a consistent and high‑quality experience for all programme participants.
• Oversee and manage internal databases, ensuring data integrity and accessibility for reporting and decision‑making.
• In collaboration with the Director of Community and the volunteer team, build and maintain digital infrastructure for marketing, communication, and engagement (e.g. newsletters, social media, CRMs).

You will have led the…