Senior Group Leader, Advanced Genome Technologies - Plant Biology Institute

At the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), we’re 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
• Artificial Intelligence & Robotics

This is ambitious work - work that demands curiosity, courage, and a relentless drive to make a difference. At EIT, you’ll join a community built on excellence, innovation, tenacity, trust, and collaboration, where bold ideas become real-world breakthroughs. Together, we push boundaries, embrace complexity, and create solutions to scale ideas from lab to society. Explore more .org.

Welcome to the Plant Biology Institute:

The Plant Biology Institute, headed by Professor Steve Kelly, is a key part of the Ellison Institute of Technology (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.

The Plant Biology Institute will unite world-class researchers who are focused on expanding the frontiers of plant science. Our research is focused on enhancing our ability to feed the planet while simultaneously improving the climate and ecosystem outcomes of food production. By embedding cutting‑edge plant science research within an organisation that is focused on solving global challenges at scale, we aim to accelerate the timeline from discovery to global impact.

Areas of exploration include:

• Improved plant productivity, both indoors and outside.
• Reduced reliance on inputs including water, fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides.
• Novel decarbonised plant‑based production platforms for food and medicines.
• Advanced technologies that speed up discovery and deployment in plants.

Researchers will have access to state‑of‑the‑art laboratory and plant growth facilities and have opportunities to collaborate with experts at the forefront of research on AI, automation, and generative biology across the EIT ecosystem. They will also work with global leaders in market development, commercialisation, and impact creation. The Plant Biology Institute has long‑term substantial funding to support the unique scale and ambition of its vision.

Your Role:

We are seeking a visionary and accomplished Group Leader/Senior Group Leader in Advanced Genome Technologies to lead a transformative research programme at the forefront of plant biotechnology. This senior leadership role is integral to shaping 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 establish and lead a world‑class research programme in advanced genome technologies and/or next‑generation plant transformation approaches working at the cutting edge of plant biotechnology, developing new and enhanced methods for genetic manipulation, plant regeneration, and DNA/RNA delivery to plants that enable a step change in our technological ability to engineer plants. They will build and manage a high‑performing, interdisciplinary team, develop cross‑sector collaborations, and ensure research excellence is translated into commercial opportunities aligned with EIT’s mission of humane and sustainable innovation.

This is a rare opportunity to define the scientific direction of a next‑generation research hub addressing some of the planet’s most pressing challenges.

Your Responsibilities:

Leadership:

• Contribute to the development and expansion of a newly established plant sciences research institute which is aiming to scale rapidly over the next 5 years to become a global leader in plant science research aimed at tackling humanity’s greatest challenges.
• Establish, lead, and continuously evolve a flagship research programme in advanced genome technologies, with a particular emphasis on novel plant transformation, plant regeneration, and/or novel DNA/RNA delivery systems.
• To work with internal teams to define the…