Crop Transformation Pipeline Manager - Plant Biology Institute

Join us at EIT:

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.

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.

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.

Your Role:

At EIT we are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Crop Transformation Pipeline Manager at the pioneering Plant Biology Institute. The candidate will build and scale a high-throughput Plant Transformation Pipeline focused on reliable, genotype-flexible, and industrially scalable delivery of transgenic and gene-edited plants.

Your Responsibilities:

• Establish high-throughput transformation pipelines with defined KPIs.
• Design, implement, and optimise end-to-end plant transformation workflows.
• Lead and mentor Research Associates and Senior Research Associates.
• Standardise tissue culture, regeneration, and selection protocols across genotypes.
• Integrate automation, digital tracking, and quality control systems in the pipeline.
• Collaborate closely with other research groups.
• Drive continuous improvement, process optimisation, and scalability.
• Contribute to strategic planning for the pipeline initiatives.
• Present scientific work at seminars and external meetings.
• Assist in mentoring graduate students.
• Collaborate with experts at the forefront of research on AI, automation, and generative biology.
• Assist in the translation of scientific results into commercial opportunities.
• Recognise opportunities for the creation of IP and cooperate in patent protection.

Requirements

Essential Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

• Master's or PhD in Plant Biology, Plant Biotechnology, or related field.
• Extensive hands-on experience developing high-throughput plant transformation and tissue-culture systems across multiple crop species.
• Demonstrated experience improving transformation efficiency and regeneration outcomes in elite lines.
• Experience leading technical teams or managing complex workflows.
• Strong understanding of genome editing platforms (CRISPR/Cas systems).
• Experience in planning and management tools like spreadsheets, Microsoft planner, LIMS, ELN, or confluence.
• Ability to build both internal and external relationships.
• Clear and demonstratable problem-solving skills.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Excellent written communication and report writing skills.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Experience working in industrial or high-throughput R&D settings.
• Experience across multiple crop species.
• Familiarity with phenotyping, digital data capture, or automation integration.