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 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.

Your Role:

At EIT we are seeking an experienced and detail orientated Head of Responsible Innovation to lead the development and implementation of ethical, secure, and socially conscious research practices within the institute.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead GBI's Responsible Innovation strategy, embedding ethical foresight and security into research programs.
• Establish frameworks and processes to forecast and address potential dual-use of emerging technologies.
• Work closely with scientific leadership and research groups to ensure alignment between research outputs and broader societal needs.
• Collaborate with GBI researchers to evaluate potential biological risk from emerging biotechnologies
• Build and chair relevant advisory boards to review innovation pathways and ensure research is conducted in a secure and ethical manner.
• Drive engagement with global stakeholders (academic, regulatory, industry, public) to ensure GBI's work is transparent, trustworthy, and aligned with international best practice in responsible research and innovation.
• Design and implement training programs for researchers to integrate responsible innovation into their projects, cultivating a culture of accountability and foresight.
• Guide the development of technical safeguards, such as hard prompt refusals in models and misuse detection tools
• Identify areas of special concern in emerging technologies to prioritise monitoring and testing schemes
• Ensure responsible innovation is embedded within GBI's research culture, building strong relationships with research teams so that security measures are seen as enabling and supportive

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience:

• A doctoral degree (PhD) in Life Sciences, Bioengineering, Synthetic Biology, or a related field.
• Ideally, demonstrated expertise in forecasting and securing emerging technologies with a proven track record of embedding responsible innovation in complex scientific environments
• Experience developing and leading frameworks for responsible research and innovation in academic, industrial, or policy contexts
• Familiarity and understanding of security, legal, and social implications of synthetic biology, automation, and large-scale data-driven science
• Ability to convene and collaborate with interdisciplinary stakeholders, including scientists, ethicists, regulators, and the public
• Proven track record of team building, with the ability to inspire a culture of responsible, mission-driven science
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to engage technical and non-technical audiences and represent GBI at the highest levels (academic institutions, regulatory agencies, industry partners)

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 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.

Your Role:

At EIT we are seeking an experienced and detail orientated Head of Responsible Innovation to lead the development and implementation of ethical, secure, and socially conscious research practices within the institute.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead GBI's Responsible Innovation strategy, embedding ethical foresight and security into research programs.
• Establish frameworks and processes to forecast and address potential dual-use of emerging technologies.
• Work closely with scientific leadership and research groups to ensure alignment between research outputs and broader societal needs.
• Collaborate with GBI researchers to evaluate potential biological risk from emerging biotechnologies
• Build and chair relevant advisory boards to review innovation pathways and ensure research is conducted in a secure and ethical manner.
• Drive engagement with global stakeholders (academic, regulatory, industry, public) to ensure GBI's work is transparent, trustworthy, and aligned with international best practice in responsible research and innovation.
• Design and implement training programs for researchers to integrate responsible innovation into their projects, cultivating a culture of accountability and foresight.
• Guide the development of technical safeguards, such as hard prompt refusals in models and misuse detection tools
• Identify areas of special concern in emerging technologies to prioritise monitoring and testing schemes
• Ensure responsible innovation is embedded within GBI's research culture, building strong relationships with research teams so that security measures are seen as enabling and supportive

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience:

• A doctoral degree (PhD) in Life Sciences, Bioengineering, Synthetic Biology, or a related field.
• Ideally, demonstrated expertise in forecasting and securing emerging technologies with a proven track record of embedding responsible innovation in complex scientific environments
• Experience developing and leading frameworks for responsible research and innovation in academic, industrial, or policy contexts
• Familiarity and understanding of security, legal, and social implications of synthetic biology, automation, and large-scale data-driven science
• Ability to convene and collaborate with interdisciplinary stakeholders, including scientists, ethicists, regulators, and the public
• Proven track record of team building, with the ability to inspire a culture of responsible, mission-driven science
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to engage technical and non-technical audiences and represent GBI at the highest levels (academic institutions, regulatory agencies, industry partners)