Head of Responsible Innovation - Generative 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
• 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:

The Generative Biology Institute (GBI) at the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) aims to overcome two major challenges in making biology engineerable: 1) the ability to precisely synthesize entire genomes, and 2) understanding which DNA sequences will create biological systems that perform desired functions. Solving these challenges will unlock the potential of biology for transformative solutions in health, sustainability, agriculture, and more. GBI will house 30 groups and over 600 researchers, supported by cutting-edge facilities and sustained funding to address global challenges and advance biology engineering.

Your Role:

At EIT we are seeking an experienced and detailed orientated Head of Responsible Innovation to lead the development and implementation of ethical, secure, and socially conscious research practices within the institute. This leadership role will ensure that scientific advancements are aligned with global biosecurity standards and societal values, embedding responsible innovation into the core of GBI’s research culture.

The successful candidate will collaborate with world-class researchers, shape strategic frameworks, and engage with global stakeholders to anticipate and mitigate risks associated with emerging biotechnologies. This is a unique opportunity to influence the future of synthetic biology and contribute to solutions in health, sustainability, and agriculture.

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)

Benefits:
We offer the following benefits:

• Enhanced holiday pay
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance
• Hospital Cash Plan
• Therapy Services
• Perk Box
• Electrical 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).