Overview
At the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), we are on a mission to translate scientific discovery into real‑world impact. We bring together visionary scientists, technologists, engineers, researchers, educators and innovators to tackle humanity’s greatest challenges in four transformative areas: Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology; Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture; Climate Change & Managing CO₂; and Artificial Intelligence & Robotics.
Welcome to the Plant Biology Institute
The Plant Biology Institute, headed by Professor Steve Kelly, is a key part of EIT Oxford. The institute aims to develop impactful and commercially sustainable solutions for improving global food production and planetary health through pioneering plant science research. Our research focuses on enhancing the ability to feed the planet while simultaneously improving climate and ecosystem outcomes of food production. We aim to accelerate the timeline from discovery to global impact.
Areas of exploration include: improved plant productivity (both indoors and outdoors); reduced reliance on inputs (water, fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides); novel decarbonised plant‑based production platforms for food and medicines; and advanced technologies that speed up discovery and deployment in plants.
Your Role
We are seeking a visionary and accomplished Group Leader in Plant Cell‑Based Production to contribute to a transformative research programme. This leadership role will shape a newly established and rapidly scaling Plant Biology Institute that aspires to become a global leader in delivering scientific breakthroughs with real‑world impact. The successful candidate will spearhead innovative focused research programmes in plant specialised metabolism discovery and engineering, plant cell culture optimisation or the genetic regulation of the identity, metabolism and growth of plant cells in culture, guiding projects from fundamental discovery through technological development and scalable application.
Your Responsibilities
- Contribute to the development and expansion of a newly established plant science institute, scaling rapidly over the next five years to become a global leader in plant science research aimed at tackling humanity’s greatest challenges.
- Establish and lead a research group focused on plant specialised metabolism discovery and engineering, plant cell culture optimisation, and/or the genetic regulation of identity, metabolism and growth of plant cells in culture, designing and executing projects that advance both foundational understanding and applied innovation.
- Work with internal teams to define the path to impact for the research program and design and execute research programmes that are value‑driven.
- Recruit and lead a top‑talent team of research scientists including post‑docs and PhD candidates, hiring based on competency, experience and values, managing performance and maintaining a positive, engaged culture in line with EIT Oxford values.
- Plan and communicate the scientific direction of the advanced genome technology program aimed at changing the art of the possible in plant cell‑based production.
- Direct the activities of the research group by supervising projects personally and overseeing delegated projects, providing intellectual energy and independent thinking necessary to lead a programme of cutting‑edge research.
- Drive rigorous experimental design, execution and data interpretation, ensuring robust and reproducible scientific outcomes.
- Manage the research program through stage‑gated milestones, making no‑go decisions based on validated research data, and designing programmes to enable delivery requirements through development and implementation.
- Manage project resources—including personnel, equipment and budgets—in coordination with the senior leadership team.
- Ensure research is conducted ethically and in compliance with EIT policy, regulatory guidance and best scientific practice.
- Generate, maintain and manage collaborations with key teams across EIT Oxford and the wider scientific and commercial ecosystem to accelerate the path to discovery and impact.
- Collaborate with the commercial team within EIT to translate research results into commercial opportunities and protect intellectual property.
Genetic Regulation of Identity, Growth and Morphology of Plant Cells in Culture
- Design and execute research projects to identify the genetic and molecular mechanisms that constrain the growth and scalability of plant cells in liquid culture.
- Develop high‑throughput genetic screens to identify key genes that confer rapid growth and other desirable cell properties for industrial scaling.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary EIT Oxford teams to link fundamental cell‑developmental genetics research to machine‑learning models that augment the search for relevant target genes.
Requirements
- Deep understanding of plant cell‑developmental genetics.
- Expertise in the genetic regulation of cell identity, division, growth and metabolism.
- Experience with high‑throughput genetic screens.
- Experience with cell‑level phenotyping, flow‑sorting and ‘omics.
- Proficiency in analysing and manipulating plant gene regulatory networks to control cell developmental processes.
- Leadership of research groups within academia or industry.
- Recognised thought leader in the field.
- Proven ability to manage scientific output for a team of PhDs and post‑doctoral researchers.
- Demonstrated commercial awareness and versatility of research that could serve a wide range of applications (e.g., oils, pharmaceuticals, foods); experience in developing partnerships with engineering, technical partners and licensees/channel partners.
- Project management, communication and resource allocation experience.
- Ability to build both internal and external relationships and work collaboratively with others outside their discipline.
Benefits
Competitive salary + travel allowance + bonus; enhanced holiday + options to buy additional days; pension; life assurance; income protection; private medical insurance; hospital cash plan; therapy services; perk box; electric car scheme; childcare benefit.
What We Offer
- Newly constructed, state‑of‑the‑art laboratories and growth facilities, core scientific and operational support, and substantial core funding to support a research group.
- A collaborative research environment with a highly skilled team working at the cutting edge of plant science to create commercially sustainable solutions that tackle humanity’s biggest challenges.
- Opportunities for professional development including publications, conferences, IP portfolio creation, spin‑out generation and leadership development.
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