Chief Technology Officer - Pathogens

The Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) Oxford tackles humanity’s greatest challenges by turning science and technology into impactful global solutions. Focused on areas like health, food security, sustainable agriculture, climate change, clean energy, and AI-driven government innovation, EIT Oxford blends groundbreaking research with practical applications to deliver lasting results. A cornerstone of EIT Oxford’s mission is its upcoming 300,000-square-foot research facility at the Oxford Science Park, set to open in 2027. This cutting-edge campus will feature advanced labs, an oncology and preventative care clinic, and collaborative spaces to strengthen its partnership with the University of Oxford. It will also host the Ellison Scholars, driving innovation for societal benefit.

The Pathogen Mission highlights EIT’s transformative approach, using Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) and Oracle’s cloud technology to create a global pathogen metagenomics system. This initiative aims to improve diagnostics, provide early epidemic warnings, and guide treatments by profiling antimicrobial resistance. The goal is to deliver certified diagnostic tools for widespread use in labs, hospitals, and public health.

EIT Oxford fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and resilience, valuing diverse expertise to drive sustainable solutions to humanity’s enduring challenges. EIT Oxford is excited to appoint an experienced and visionary Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead the development of transformative solutions in the fight against infectious diseases. Reporting to Dr. Emma Stanton, CEO of the Pathogen Programme, the CTO will provide strategic leadership across the programme, guiding cross-functional teams to develop scalable, AI/ML-powered technologies that align with EIT’s mission to combat endemic and epidemic threats.

Working alongside esteemed figures such as Professor Gil McVean, the CTO will bridge innovation and real-world application, ensuring solutions meet the highest clinical, regulatory, and ethical standards. This pivotal role involves defining the overall product and technology strategy, overseeing the development of a next-generation standalone platform, and leading a high-performing team of experts across engineering, product, and data. The CTO will champion the agile development of scalable cloud architectures and drive automation, detection accuracy, and actionable insights through big data and AI/ML integration. With full autonomy to shape the team and tech roadmap, the successful candidate will position EIT Oxford at the forefront of infectious disease genomics, playing a central role in realising the ambition to create the world’s largest pathogen data and analytics platform.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Define and oversee the product vision and roadmap for the program’s data platform and pathogen detection system, ensuring alignment with stakeholder needs and mission objectives. Develop a robust technology strategy that balances innovation with scalability, reliability, and compliance. Drive the creation of comprehensive product and market requirement documentation to support the development of an end-to-end tech stack for rapid, affordable, and point-of-care genomic diagnostics in collaboration with partners.
• Product Development and Delivery: Lead multidisciplinary teams in the agile development of scalable, cloud-native platforms and user-centric data products. Collaborate with the Principal Scientist and Chief Medical Officer to ensure seamless integration of products into clinical pathways while meeting safety, regulatory, and ethical standards. Incorporate advanced technologies, such as AI/ML and synthetic data generation to address data security, automation, and collaboration challenges. Implement DevOps principles, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code for rapid iteration and continuous improvement.
• Regulatory and Compliance Oversight: Ensure platform compliance with healthcare data regulations, including GDPR, HIPAA, ISO standards, and emerging global policies. Design governance frameworks to manage sensitive clinical and multi-modal data, ensuring traceability, accessibility, and interoperability.
• Stakeholder Collaboration and Representation: Engage partners across global health organisations, technology providers, and academia to advance the program’s technological vision. Represent the program at global conferences, industry events, and client engagements, serving as a key spokesperson for its technological mission.
• Team Leadership and Culture: Recruit, develop, and inspire a high-performing team across engineering, data science, and product management. Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability, ensuring alignment with the program’s objectives. Build talent strategies to address skill gaps and establish pipelines for emerging technology roles.
• Operational Excellence: Design and implement processes to manage project scope, timelines, and deliverables, ensuring alignment with program goals. Establish KPIs for platform and product success, enabling data-driven decision making.

Qualifications & Experience:

• 10+ years of senior leadership experience (CPTO, CTO, CPO, or equivalent) in tech-driven organisations within data-intensive industries.
• Proven expertise in handling and integrating multi-modal clinical and omics data, as well as leading teams to develop scalable cloud-native architectures.
• Demonstrable knowledge of big data governance, regulatory compliance (e.g., software as a medical device), and secure data sharing in regulated markets.
• Hands-on experience with AI/ML technologies, data engineering, and analytics workflows in healthcare.
• Strong business acumen, with experience managing budgets exceeding £50M annually.
• Experience collaborating with scientists and working with data at scale, with a product-focused mindset to bridge technical and user requirements.

We offer the following salary and benefits: Salary: Competitive, depending on experience + travel allowance + bonus Enhanced holiday pay Pension Life Assurance Income Protection Private Medical Insurance Hospital Cash Plan Therapy Services Electric Car Scheme.

Why work for EIT: At the Ellison Institute, we believe a collaborative, inclusive team is key to our success. We are building a supportive environment where creative risks are encouraged, and everyone feels heard. Valuing emotional intelligence, empathy, respect, and resilience, we encourage people to be curious and to have a shared commitment to excellence. Join us and make an impact!

Terms of Appointment: You must have the right to work permanently in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary. You will live in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford. During peak periods, some longer hours may be required and some working across multiple time zones due to the global nature of the programme.