Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford
(Senior) Group Leader, Nitrogen Fixation - Plant Biology Institute
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(Senior) Group Leader, Nitrogen Fixation - Plant Biology Institute
Senior Group Leader/Group Leader in Nitrogen Fixation
[Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) · Plant Biology Institute]
About EIT & the Plant Biology Institute
At the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), we translate scientific discovery into tangible real-world impact. By uniting top-tier scientists, technologists, engineers, researchers, and educators, we address humanity’s most pressing challenges across four key areas:
- Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology
- Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture
- Climate Change & Managing CO₂
- Artificial Intelligence & Robotics
At EIT Oxford, our Plant Biology Institute—led by Professor Steve Kelly—is transforming global food production and planetary health through breakthrough plant science research. Our mission is to develop scalable, commercially viable solutions that simultaneously enhance productivity, sustainability, and climate resilience. With world-class research facilities, interdisciplinary collaboration, and long-term funding, we accelerate breakthroughs from lab to society.
Key research focuses include:
- Enhanced plant productivity (indoor and outdoor)
- Reduced reliance on water, fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides
- Decarbonised, plant-based production platforms for food and medicine
- Advanced technologies for rapid plant discovery and deployment
Job Overview
EIT seeks a strategic and inspirational Senior Group Leader/Group Leader in Nitrogen Fixation to spearhead a flagship research programme at its rapidly expanding Plant Biology Institute. This pivotal role will:
- Establish EIT as a global leader in nitrogen fixation and plant biology
- Assemble and lead a high-calibre research team of postdocs and PhD candidates
- Drive cutting-edge research with scientific rigor, commercial viability, and global impact
- Foster collaborations and partnerships to accelerate discovery and translation
The ideal candidate is a recognised thought leader in nitrogen fixation whose vision aligns with EIT’s bold mission: to solve challenges at scale through principled, purpose-driven innovation.
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Responsibilities
Leadership
- Shape and expand EIT’s new Plant Biology Institute, ensuring it becomes a global leader in plant science within five years.
- Lead a flagship research programme centered on biological nitrogen fixation in plants, with critical focus on:
- Novel nitrogen-fixing systems
- Advanced metabolic and protein engineering for plants
- Define the strategic path to impact for the nitrogen fixation programme, ensuring alignment with EIT’s mission and sustainable solutions.
- Recruit, manage, and develop a top-performing team of research scientists (postdocs, PhDs) based on competency, experience, and values alignment.
- Foster a positive, collaborative culture while holding teams accountable to clear performance targets.
Research for Global Impact
- Guide the scientific strategy of the nitrogen fixation programme, ensuring engineered biological nitrogen fixation becomes a reality in plants.
- Oversee scientific research by:
- Supervising key projects
- Delegating, delegating, and mentoring group members
- Providing intellectual leadership for innovative, impact-driven research
- Design and execute experimental work with rigorous data-driven decision-making, ensuring high-quality, reproducible results.
- Manage research through stage-gated milestones, leveraging validated data to make go/no-go decisions for program continuity.
- Plan research programmes with scientific feasibility and development scalability in mind, prioritising to meet delivery requirements.
- Allocate and coordinate resources (budget, personnel, equipment) with EIT leadership.
- Ensure ethical conduct and compliance with regulatory guidelines, institutional policies, and best scientific practices.
Collaboration & Translation
- Build and maintain key collaborations across:
- EIT Oxford (AI, automation, generative biology teams)
- Academic/commercial ecosystems for technical and strategic support
- Secure and cultivate stakeholder relationships to accelerate scientific discoveries and real-world deployment.
- Work with EIT’s translation team to commercialise research outcomes, leveraging opportunities for IP, spinout creation, and impactful partnerships.
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Key Requirements
Essential Skills & Experience
- Proven experience as a research group leader (academia or industry)
- Recognised thought leadership in the field of nitrogen fixation, plant biology, or metabolic engineering
- Strong experience mentoring postdocs and PhD students, driving their career development while ensuring robust scientific output
- Track record in long-term strategic research, including establishing and executing complex multi-year programmes
- Demonstrated ability to manage large research teams with clear objectives, performance metrics, and oversight
- Project management, communication, and resource allocation expertise
- Excellent networks with internal and external stakeholders—skilled at cross-disciplinary collaboration and strategic partnerships
Benefits & Workplace
• Competitive Compensation & Perks
- Competitive base salary + annual travel allowance
- Performance-based bonus
- Enhanced holiday (25+ days) + opportunity to purchase additional days
- Pension scheme
- Life Assurance, Income Protection, and Financial Security
- Private Medical Insurance
- Hospital Cash Plan and Counselling Services support
- Perk Box (discounted goods, services, and experiences)
- Electric Car Scheme
- Childcare Benefit
• Working Environment
- State-of-the-art laboratories and plant growth facilities with cutting-edge capabilities.
- Collaborative, interdisciplinary research community fostering bold ideas.
- Research support from EIT’s core scientific and operational teams.
- Global impact focus that connects advanced research to real-world solutions across agriculture and climate sustainability.
- Opportunities for publication, conference attendance, entrepreneurship development, and intellectual property creation.
Applications: For more details and to apply, visit: www.eit.org
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