Senior Vector Design Lead, Crop Transformation

Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford; Oxford; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel allowance

Bonus

Pension

Private Medical Insurance

Cycle to Work Scheme

Job summary

Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford is seeking an experienced Vector Design Manager to lead the design, build strategy, QC and release of transformation vectors and genome editing reagents for our crop programme within the Plant Biology Institute.

You will translate trait objectives into vector designs, establish design standards, manage internal and external workflows, and mentor scientists while ensuring traceability, regulatory alignment, and timely delivery across corn, wheat and other

Qualifications

• PhD in Plant Biotechnology or MSc with significant industry experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead vector design strategy for gene edited and transgenic crop projects, including expression cassette architecture and promoter/terminator selection.
• Translate trait biology and transformation requirements into vectors suitable for various delivery systems.
• Provide guidance on CRISPR/Cas systems, base editing, multiplex editing and donor template design.
• Develop commercial-grade design rules considering transformation performance, event quality and regulatory needs.
• Own construct intake, annotation, version control and release criteria before vectors enter transformation workflows.
• Manage DNA synthesis, cloning, sequencing and relation with external service providers.
• Collaborate with event delivery and genotyping teams to align molecular assay strategies.
• Build and maintain a structured vector inventory and construct database with ELN, LIMS and sequence management tools.
• Create SOPs, QC checklists and handover forms for reproducible vector delivery.
• Track milestones, budgets and vendor dependencies, escalating blockers early.
• Partner with legal, IP, regulatory and procurement to align designs with programme requirements.
• Train scientists in vector design principles and documentation.
• Contribute to IP creation and high-impact crop improvement technologies.

Skills

Vector design

Genome editing

Project management

Documentation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

PhD in Plant Biotechnology

MSc with relevant industry experience

Tools

Benchling

SnapGene

Geneious

Vector NTI

Job description

Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford is seeking an experienced Vector Design Manager to lead the design, build strategy, QC and release of transformation vectors and genome editing reagents for our crop programme within the Plant Biology Institute.

You will translate trait objectives into vector designs, establish design standards, manage internal and external workflows, and mentor scientists while ensuring traceability, regulatory alignment, and timely delivery across corn, wheat and other