Senior Scientist, Automated Diagnostic Systems… at Ellison… · Oxford

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 http://www.eit.org.

Welcome to the Pathogen Project:

Within this ecosystem, the Pathogen Mission exemplifies EIT’s commitment to transformative science. It aims to revolutionise the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases by leveraging whole genome sequencing (WGS)-based metagenomic and pathogen-specific analytical tools. This remit includes the development of a decentralised, sample-to-answer sequencing diagnostic platform for infectious diseases, enabling rapid and accurate analysis of patient samples without prior assumptions. Supported by Oracle Inc.’s cloud-computing scale and security infrastructure, the Pathogen Mission is progressing towards certified diagnostic products for deployment in laboratories, hospitals, and public health organisations worldwide.

Your Role:

At EIT we are seeking an experienced and detailed orientated Senior Scientist, Automated Diagnostic Systems to help develop a novel device-based metagenomic pathogen detection platform within the Pathogen Programme. Working at the intersection of biology, chemistry, and engineering, you will translate molecular biology workflows into automated, integrated diagnostic systems.

You'll lead the development and optimisation of workflows for nucleic acid extraction, purification, library preparation, and sample processing within a fluidic device, helping to reduce technical risk and guide the platform from proof-of-concept through to prototype.

The role involves close collaboration with engineers, chemists, and scientists across disciplines to ensure biological workflows can be robustly implemented within an automated device architecture. We're particularly interested in candidates with experience developing automated molecular diagnostics, analytical instruments, or cartridge-based platforms, and translating manual laboratory processes into scalable automated systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute robust experiments to generate high-quality data and inform technical decisions.
• Translate molecular biology workflows into automated processes for integration within a diagnostic platform.
• Apply Design of Experiments (DoE) and quantitative methods to optimise workflow performance.
• Develop performance metrics and analytical frameworks to support iterative platform development.
• Identify and resolve bottlenecks, variability, and failure modes across integrated workflows.
• Generate insights that guide system design, including fluidics, reagents, automation, and overall architecture.
• Improve assay robustness, reproducibility, and scalability.
• Collaborate closely with biologists, chemists, and engineers to integrate biological workflows into automated systems.
• Provide technical leadership by defining experimental strategies, prioritising risks, and supporting prototype development.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• PhD (or equivalent industry experience) in Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, or a related discipline.
• Experience developing molecular biology workflows in industrial or translational R&D environments.
• Proven track record of automating or semi-automating molecular biology workflows.
• Experience integrating biological workflows into analytical, diagnostic, or cartridge-based platforms.
• Strong understanding of nucleic acid extraction, purification, and analysis across diverse sample types.
• Ability to design robust experiments and interpret results within complex systems.
• Experience identifying and resolving bottlenecks in integrated biochemical workflows.
• Strong understanding of assay performance, reproducibility, and quantitative development metrics.
• Experience balancing biological requirements with engineering constraints such as fluidics, automation, contamination control, and reagent stability.
• Proven ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams spanning biology, chemistry, and engineering.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Experience developing automated molecular diagnostic platforms from concept to prototype.
• Experience with cartridge-based sample preparation systems and workflow integration.
• Experience developing integrated analytical or diagnostic instruments.
• Experience automating sequencing library preparation workflows.
• Familiarity with sequencing-based diagnostics, metagenomics, and NGS technologies.
• Experience with Oxford Nanopore sequencing.
• Experience handling challenging clinical samples, including low biomass or inhibitor-rich specimens.
• Experience with microfluidics and miniaturised fluid handling systems.
• Experience collaborating with mechanical, electrical, software, and systems engineers.
• Experience applying Design of Experiments (DoE) methodologies.
• Knowledge of surface functionalisation, biomolecule immobilisation, or material-biomolecule interactions.
• Experience evaluating contaminants, inhibitors, and residual reagents within sample preparation workflows.

Key Attributes

Scientific & Technical Expertise

• Innovative scientist with a track record of product development, translational research, patents, or publications.
• Strong systems thinker with experience developing and optimising complex biological and engineering workflows.
• Comfortable working with evolving technologies, technical uncertainty, and data-driven decision making.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Experienced in leading technical projects and working within multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong communicator, able to translate scientific insights into practical technical solutions.
• Collaborative approach with the potential to take on leadership responsibilities as the team grows.

Personal Qualities

• Curious, pragmatic, and evidence-driven.
• Organised and adaptable, with the ability to prioritise effectively in fast-paced environments.
• Resilient team player motivated by developing technologies that can transform clinical diagnostics.

Our Benefits:

• Travel allowance
• Annual Bonus
• Pension - Employer contribution 7.5%, minimum employee contribution 5%
• Life Assurance.
• Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance as standard for you, your partner and any dependents. Including hospital Cash Plan
• Employee discounts
• Electric car scheme
• Nursery Salary Sacrifice scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Family Planning
• Neurodiversity support including advise and assessments
• Coaching & Therapy services

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).