"Biological and Chemical Safety Officer - Generative Biology Institute"

Job Details

Description

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
• Climate Change & Managing CO₂
• 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 at www.eit.org.

Welcome to the Generative Biology Institute:

Led by Founding Director Jason Chin, the Generative Biology Institute (GBI) at the Ellison Institute of Technology is tackling the key challenges in making biology engineerable, and thereby unlocking the unrivalled power of biology for the benefit of humanity.

The vision of the GBI is to lay the foundations for engineering biology, and unlock its potential for good. To achieve this, we must overcome two key challenges. First, we need the ability to write in the natural language of biology, enabling the rapid and scalable synthesis of entire genomes with precision. Second, we must understand what to write - determining which DNA sequences will generate biological systems that perform the desired functions. Addressing these challenges will allow us to harness the full power of biology to create transformative solutions across health, agriculture, clean energy and more.

GBI will have sustained and substantial funding to support the unique scale and ambition of its ground-breaking vision for engineering biology. GBI researchers will also be supported by cutting-edge technology hubs including mass spectrometry, flow cytometry, sequencing, automation, imaging, and bioprocessing. GBI will also have access to substantial compute resources that can be leveraged to further accelerate progress, including scientific compute, bioinformatics, and machine learning. The environment at GBI will allow researchers to undertake ambitious, long-term, collaborative research, and we will actively support the translation of research to commercial applications, where appropriate.

The Generative Biology Institute commenced operations in 2025, occupying newly renovated bespoke space in the Oxford Science Park. The team will later move to a purpose-made facility in the Oxford Science Park, currently under construction. Once complete, this state-of-the-art facility will include more than 40,000 m² of research laboratory and office space. It will house over 30 groups and up to 600 employees at scale, focused on solving the two critical challenges in making biology engineerable and applying the solutions to addressing the global challenges encapsulated in EIT's Humane Endeavors.

Your Role:

At EIT we are seeking an experienced and detail orientated Biological and Chemical Safety Officer (BCSO) to support the safe, compliant, and effective operation of GBI laboratories. The role is responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring biological and chemical safety programmes in line with institutional policies and applicable regulatory requirements. The BCSO supports safe research, teaching, and operational activities involving biological agents, hazardous chemicals, and other regulated materials through risk assessment, training, audits, inspections, and incident response.

The role also assists in maintaining health and safety procedures, ensuring ongoing regulatory compliance, and supporting day-to-day laboratory safety operations as GBI research activities evolve. Working closely with central EIT Health and Safety colleagues, the GBI BCSO helps ensure consistency and alignment of safety practices across the wider organisation and contributes to institutional forums such as the Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) Committee to share best practice and strengthen cross-site collaboration.

Key Responsibilities:

Biological Safety

• Work with GBI research colleagues to develop, implement, and maintain biological safety procedures in compliance with relevant regulations and guidance, including containment and biosafety standards.
• Support researchers to develop, biological risk assessments for research protocols, laboratory activities, and operational processes.
• Act as an expert resource for biological safety practices, including pathogen handling, recombinant DNA work, and biohazardous waste management.
• Carry out routine lab walks for laboratories using biological agents, advising on best practice and encouraging safe research approaches.
• Lead on GBI's biosafety processes and support relevant safety committees.
• Lead investigations regarding biological safety incidents, exposures, and near misses, and recommend corrective and preventive actions to ensure that all GBI research is conducted safely.

Chemical Safety

• Develop and provide oversight of GBI chemical safety programmes, including chemical hygiene practices and hazardous material management.
• Review and advise on chemical risk assessments, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and safety data sheets (SDS).
• Ensure compliance with requirements for chemical storage, labelling, handling, and disposal.
• Support chemical inventory control and hazardous waste management.
• Carry out routine lab walks for laboratories using chemical agents, advising on best practice and encouraging safe research approaches.
• Lead investigations regarding biological safety incidents, exposures, and near misses, and recommend corrective and preventive actions to ensure that all GBI research is conducted safely.
• Conduct relevant chemical safety audits where required, translating lessons learnt into actionable improvements.

Health & Safety Compliance

• Develop, implement, and maintain GBI health and safety policies in line with UK legislation and industry best practice (e.g. HSE, COSHH).
• Work with other EIT H&S colleagues to support compliance with relevant regulations, including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH).
• Act as the GBI lead for internal and external audits and inspections, including maintaining accurate records and documentation.
• Develop frameworks and processes to ensure all GBI colleagues complete appropriate documentation of processes, workflows, and sample handling procedures.

Training & Education

• Develop training materials, guidance documents, and SOP templates in alignment with GBI research needs.
• Coordinate and deliver biological and chemical safety training for GBI researchers, staff, students, and contractors.
• Promote a proactive safety culture through engagement, communication, and continuous education initiatives.

Incident Management & Emergency Response

• Participate in emergency responses to biological and chemical incidents.
• Provide technical support and leadership during spills, exposures, or containment breaches.
• Support incident investigation, reporting, and post-incident reviews, incorporating lessons learnt into new working practices.

Continuous Improvement & Collaboration

• Monitor safety performance and identify trends or areas for improvement.
• Recommend enhancements to safety programmes, procedures, and controls.
• Work collaboratively with the GBI Lab Operations team, Technology Hub specialists, research colleagues and EIT H&S colleagues to ensure consistent standards.
• Stay informed of emerging regulations, risks, and best practices in biological and chemical safety, and share knowledge to raise everyone's awareness of modern practices.

Requirements

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

Required

• Bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, microbiology, environmental health, occupational safety, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in biological and/or chemical safety, laboratory safety, or EHS.
• Working knowledge of biological containment principles and chemical hazard controls.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Experience of providing H&S training to improve knowledge and standards.

Preferred

• Master's degree in a relevant scientific or safety discipline.
• Professional certifications (e.g., CBSP, RBP, CSP, CIH, or equivalent).
• Experience in academic research, healthcare, or industrial laboratory environments.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks relevant to biosafety and chemical safety.

Skills & Competencies

• Risk assessment and hazard analysis
• Regulatory interpretation and compliance
• Training delivery and instructional design
• Incident investigation and root cause analysis
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Ability to engage with a diverse range of stakeholders
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively

Benefits

Our Benefits:

• Travel allowance + Bonus
• Enhanced holiday pay
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance
• Hospital Cash Plan
• Therapy Services
• Perk Box
• Electric Car Scheme

Working Together - What It Involves:

• You must have the right to work permanently in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary. In certain cases, we can consider sponsorship, and this will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
• You will live in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford (or be willing to relocate).