(Senior) Group Leader, Nitrogen Fixation - 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; Artificial Intelligence & Robotics; Climate Change & Managing CO₂.

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.

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. The Plant Biology Institute will unite world‑class researchers who are focused on expanding the frontiers of plant science. Our research is focused on enhancing our ability to feed the planet while simultaneously improving the climate and ecosystem outcomes of food production. By embedding cutting‑edge plant science research within an organisation that is focused on solving global challenges at scale, we aim to accelerate the timeline from discovery to global impact.

Areas of exploration:

• 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

Researchers will have access to state‑of‑the‑art laboratory and plant growth facilities and have opportunities to collaborate with experts at the forefront of research on AI, automation, and generative biology across the EIT ecosystem. They will also work with global leaders in market development, commercialisation, and impact creation. The Plant Biology Institute has long‑term substantial funding to support the unique scale and ambition of its vision.

Your Role. At EIT we are seeking an inspiring and strategic Senior Group Leader/Group Leader in Nitrogen Fixation to lead a flagship research programme within its rapidly expanding Plant Biology Institute. This senior leadership position offers a unique opportunity to shape the scientific and operational foundations of a world‑class research team dedicated to developing innovative, purpose‑driven solutions in biological nitrogen fixation. You will play a central role in establishing EIT's global leadership in plant science by recruiting and managing top‑tier talent, forging impactful collaborations, and driving translational research from lab to field. With a clear focus on scientific excellence, commercial viability, and global impact, this role is ideal for a recognised thought leader ready to pioneer transformative science aligned with EIT's values and mission to tackle humanity's greatest challenges.

Your Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the development and expansion of a newly established plant science institute which will scale rapidly over the next 5 years to become a global leader in plant science research aimed at tackling humanity's greatest challenges.
• Establish, lead, and continuously evolve a flagship research programme in biological nitrogen fixation in plants, with a particular emphasis on novel nitrogen‑fixing systems and advanced metabolic and protein engineering.
• Work with internal teams to define the path to impact for the research program.
• Design and execute research programmes and ensure that all research programmes are value and purpose‑driven.
• Recruit and lead a top‑talent team of research scientists including post‑docs and PhD candidates.
• Hire based on competency, experience and values.
• Manage based on clear performance targets and with accountability.
• Maintain a positive, engaged culture, in line with EIT Oxford values.

• Contribute to planning and communicating the scientific direction of the nitrogen fixation programme which is aimed at engineering biological nitrogen fixation into plants.
• Direct the activities of the research group by supervising some projects personally and overseeing projects delegated to group members.
• Provide the intellectual energy and independent thinking necessary to lead a programme of cutting‑edge research and to shape the overall aims and success of the group.
• Drive rigorous experimental design, execution and data interpretation, ensuring robust and reproducible scientific outcomes.
• Manage research program through stage‑gated milestones, with active, no/no‑go decisions based on validated research data.
• Design research programmes to enable delivery requirements to be considered through development and implementation.
• Identify pre‑emptive decisions to enable future scale‑up.
• Manage project resources – including personnel, equipment and budgets – in coordination with the senior leadership team.
• Ensure research is conducted ethically and in compliance with EIT policy, regulatory guidance and best scientific practice.
• Generate, maintain and manage collaborations with key teams across EIT Oxford and in the wider scientific and commercial ecosystem to accelerate the path to scientific discovery and impact.
• Maintain key stakeholder relationships.
• Work where appropriate with the translation team within EIT to translate the results of research into commercial opportunities consistent with EIT's humane endeavours.
• Recognise and act on opportunities for the creation and protection of intellectual property.

Requirements:

• Leader of research group(s) within academia or industry.
• Recognised thought leader in their field.
• Proven ability to manage scientific output for a team of PhDs/Post‑doctoral researchers.
• Experience delivering against long‑term strategic research programmes.
• Experience of managing a large team of researchers and scientists.
• Project management, communication and resource allocation experience.
• Ability to build both internal and external relationships.
• Working collaboratively with others outside of their discipline.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary + travel allowance + bonus
• Enhanced holiday + options to buy additional days
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance
• Hospital Cash Plan
• Therapy Services
• Perk Box
• Electric Car Scheme
• Childcare benefit

What we offer:

• Newly constructed, state‑of‑the‑art laboratories and growth facilities, core scientific and operational support, with substantial core funding.
• A collaborative research environment with highly skilled team working at the cutting edge of plant science to create commercially sustainable solutions that tackle humanity's biggest challenges, including enabling sustainable agriculture and improving the climate and ecosystem outcomes of food production.
• Opportunities for professional development including publication, conferences, IP portfolio creation, spin‑out generation, and leadership development.