Service Owner - Scientific Research

Genomics England partners with the NHS to provide whole genome sequencing diagnostics. We also equip researchers to find the causes of disease and develop new treatments, with patients and participants at the heart of it all.

Our mission is to continue refining, scaling, and evolving our ability to enable others to deliver genomic healthcare and conduct genomic research. We are accelerating our impact and working with patients, doctors, scientists, government and industry to improve genomic testing, and help researchers access the health data and technology they need to make new medical discoveries and create more effective, targeted medicines for everybody.

Overall job purpose: To lead the Define and Deliver Scientific Research service through a transitional period, ensuring current commitments are met and preparing the service for future research activities. Success at the end of the 12-month term would involve completing existing work and positioning the service for the next phase.

• Lead the Define and Deliver Scientific Research (DDSR) service, overseeing the Core Team, Cohorts Team, and Research & Development Laboratory in Hinxton. Lead, mentor, and support the core service team to deliver on objectives, monitor progress, and drive continuous improvement aligned with GEL and government standards.
• Coordinate strategic planning and resourcing for DDSR, collaborating closely with Service Owners and Tribe Leads across the Research Tribe.
• Drive the successful delivery of research data generation activities committed under the 2022–2025 Spending Review.
• Coordinate sample processing, data analysis and ingestion steps needed for all data from SR22-25 to be available to researchers.
• Oversee Genomics England’s important contributions to the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad and MHRA Yellow Card Biobank.
• Prepare the DDSR service for future Spending Review periods by implementing strategic changes and initiating new data generation workstreams.
• Set clear objectives and performance measures (OKRs), ensure governance and compliance across operations, and lead the service to meet internal and external standards, including budgets, workforce plan and also data and IT (and ISO) requirements.
• Make clear, validated, strategic choices on spending and procurement and lead the service to deliver against its objectives and to government digital standards and GEL processes.
• Play an active role on Genomics England’s Senior Leadership Team, modelling leadership behaviours and contributing to the organisation’s vision for accessible genomic healthcare.

Qualifications: Will have worked in a relevant area of science at a post-doctoral level, and have experience of leading delivery in the life sciences sector, in government, industry, the NHS or academia.

Additional Information:

• Salary from: £113,500.
• Generous Leave: 30 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, additional leave for long service, and the option to apply for up to 30 days of remote working abroad annually (approval required).
• Family-Friendly: Blended working arrangements, flexible working, enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave benefits.
• Pension & Financial: Defined contribution pension (Genomics England double-matches up to 10%, however you can contribute more if you wish), Life Assurance (3x salary), and a Give As You Earn scheme.
• Learning & Development: Individual learning budgets, support for training and certifications, and reimbursement for one annual professional subscription (approval required).
• Recognition & Rewards: Employee recognition programme and referral scheme.
• Health & Wellbeing: Subsidised gym membership, a free Headspace account, and access to an Employee Assistance Programme, eye tests, flu jabs.

Equal opportunities and our commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace: Genomics England is actively committed to providing and supporting an inclusive environment that promotes equity, diversity and inclusion best practice both within our community and in any other area where we have influence. We are proud of our diverse community where everyone can come to work and feel welcomed and treated with respect regardless of any disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, or social background.

Genomics England’s policies of non-discrimination and equity will be applied fairly to all people, regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, being pregnant or recently becoming a parent, race, religion or beliefs, sex or sexual orientation, length of service, whether full or part-time or employed under a permanent or a fixed-term contract or any other relevant factor. Genomics England does not tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment, victimisation or bullying at work. Such behaviour is contrary to our virtues, undermines our mission and core values and diminishes the dignity, respect and integrity of all parties. Our People policies outline our commitment to inclusivity.

We aim to remove barriers in our recruitment processes and to be flexible with our interview processes. Should you require any adjustments that may help you to fully participate in the recruitment process, we encourage you to discuss this with us.

Blended working model: Genomics England operates a blended working model as we know our people appreciate the flexibility that hybrid working can bring. We expect most people to come into the office a minimum of 2 times each month. However, this will vary according to role and will be agreed with your team leader. There is no expectation that people will return to the office full time unless they want to, however, some of our roles require full time on site attendance e.g., lab teams, reception team.

Our teams and squads have, and will continue to reflect on what works best for them to work together successfully and have the freedom to design working patterns to suit, beyond the minimum. Our office locations are: Canary Wharf, Cambridge and Leeds.

Onboarding background checks: As part of our recruitment process, all successful candidates are subject to a Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. We therefore require applicants to disclose any previous offences at point of application, as some unspent convictions may mean we are unable to proceed with your application due to the nature of our work in healthcare.