Policy Lead

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life‑changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.

The Policy Lead plays a key role in leading the execution of the Institute’s external genomic policy positions and internal policy development to ensure that Sanger’s science informs national and global decision‑making. Working within the Strategy team, the role translates analysis into targeted policy engagement activity, while strengthening research culture, good research practice, and institutional positioning across government, funders, and international forums.

We welcome applications from individuals with a broad range of skills and experience and encourage applications from curiosity‑driven people with backgrounds that don’t exactly fit our requirements, but who can provide proof of exceptional work. We place a high value on work‑life balance and are dedicated to supporting our team members with family‑friendly policies and benefits, including flexible working arrangements.

• Executing the Institute’s external policy positions, drawing on analysis and recommendations to develop targeted policy activity across an array of genomic policy topics.
• Coordinating and leading the Institute’s approach to external policy engagement, establishing how, where, and with whom Sanger engages across the policy ecosystem.
• Shaping and implementing the portfolio of policy work, ensuring alignment with scientific priorities and institutional strategy.
• Leading targeted policy activity, using institutional policy positions to influence outcomes and raise awareness of the implications of Sanger science.
• Conducting policy horizon scanning, ensuring emerging genomic policy issues are translated into clear positions and actions.
• Representing the Institute in relevant external discussions, committees, and forums, ensuring Sanger’s perspectives are well‑understood and aligned with institutional priorities.
• Supporting the shaping of Sanger’s long‑term policy strategy and driving its implementation.
• Supporting leadership in developing and maintaining strategic relationships with policymakers.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with key individuals at Wellcome to ensure alignment with Wellcome policy priorities and advising the Institute Director on relevant developments.
• Reviewing and aligning Institute policies to ensure they reflect and support a positive research culture, including areas such as data sharing and software.
• Ensuring the Institute has appropriate, up‑to‑date strategic policy and position documentation in place.
• Maintaining internal policies on good research practice, academic misconduct, and any relevant institutional positions such as equitable collaboration.
• Providing expert policy advice to the Director and senior leadership on developments across funders, government, and key external stakeholders.

You are an experienced policy professional with a strong background in academic research and have deep expertise in the complex genomic policy landscape. You thrive in collaborative, complex and intellectually stimulating environments where you can translate evolving scientific developments into coherent and impactful policy positions under time‑sensitive conditions. You are comfortable navigating diverse policy ecosystems from internal faculty to government bodies and international forums, and you have strong relationship‑building and communication skills, allowing you to influence senior leadership and coordinate activity across the Institute to ensure science informs national and global decision‑making.

You are highly organised, adaptable and capable of shaping and managing a portfolio of policy activity which is aligned with scientific and institute priorities. You enjoy working with senior leaders, researchers and external partners, and are motivated by the opportunity to shape the policy strategy of a world‑leading genomics institute.

• Significant academic research experience (e.g. PhD) that provides an understanding of research culture and…