Scientific Communications Manager - Generative Biology Institute

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, policy makers, and entrepreneurs 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 www.eit.org.

Welcome to the Generative Biology Institute:

Led by Founding Director Jason Chin, the Generative Biology Institute (GBI) at the Ellison Institute of Technology is tackling the key challenges in making biology engineerable, and thereby unlocking the unrivalled power of biology for the benefit of humanity.

The vision of the GBI is to lay the foundations for engineering biology, and unlock its potential for good. To achieve this, we must overcome two key challenges. First, we need the ability to write in the natural language of biology, enabling the rapid and scalable synthesis of entire genomes with precision. Second, we must understand what to write - determining which DNA sequences will generate biological systems that perform the desired functions. Addressing these challenges will allow us to harness the full power of biology to create transformative solutions across health, agriculture, clean energy and more.   

GBI will have sustained and substantial funding to support the unique scale and ambition of its ground-breaking vision for engineering biology. GBI researchers will also be supported by cutting-edge technology hubs including mass spectrometry, flow cytometry, sequencing, automation, imaging, and bioprocessing. GBI will also have access to substantial compute resources that can be leveraged to further accelerate progress, including scientific compute, bioinformatics, and machine learning. The environment at GBI will allow researchers to undertake ambitious, long-term, collaborative research, and we will actively support the translation of research to commercial applications, where appropriate.  

The Generative Biology Institute commenced operations in 2025, occupying newly renovated bespoke space in the Oxford Science Park. The team will later move to a purpose-made facility in the Oxford Science Park, currently under construction. Once complete, this state-of-the-art facility will include more than 40,000 m² of research laboratory and office space.  It will house over 30 groups and up to 600 employees at scale, focused on solving the two critical challenges in making biology engineerable and applying the solutions to addressing the global challenges encapsulated in EIT’s Humane Endeavors.  

The Scientific Communications Manager will lead the development and delivery of a comprehensive internal and external communications strategy that showcases the groundbreaking research of the Generative Biology Institute (GBI) and fosters strong connections within the Institute’s global community. Working closely with scientists, leadership, and technical teams, the postholder will translate complex discoveries in synthetic biology, genome engineering, and related disciplines into clear, compelling narratives for a variety of audiences — from fellow researchers and collaborators to the media and public. The role will work closely with EIT’s central communications team and ensure all communications accurately reflect GBI’s vision, scientific excellence, and collaborative spirit, while building the Institute’s reputation as a world leader in engineering biology.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement, and refine GBI’s integrated scientific communications strategy, ensuring it supports the Institute’s mission and research priorities.
• Serve as the primary communications partner for GBI’s leadership and research teams, aligning content with organisational goals and maintaining consistent messaging, tone, and brand identity across all internal and external channels.
• Identify and promote GBI’s most significant research outputs, translating complex scientific work into engaging, accessible content.
• Develop high-quality written and visual scientific materials related to GBI research, including press releases, feature articles, web content, social media posts, videos, and event collateral with EIT’s central communications team.
• Build and maintain relationships with science journalists, science media outlets, and key science influencers, and develop GBI’s press activities for major announcements, conferences, and events in conjunction with EIT’s central communications team.
• Ensure EIT’s digital platforms reflect GBI’s cutting-edge research and provide content to EIT’s social media strategies to highlight achievements, collaborations, and community initiatives, working closely with EIT's central communications team to ensure key messages and branding are aligned for a cohesive user experience.
• Plan, produce, and promote digital engagement activities such as livestreamed conferences, webinars, podcasts, and virtual lab tours.
• Support the design and delivery of outreach activities, exhibitions, and events that inspire public interest in GBI’s science.
• Partner with researchers to identify compelling stories and develop their science communication skills for varied audiences.
• Create and manage effective internal communication channels to keep research teams informed, connected, and engaged, and share key milestones and discoveries to strengthen a collaborative culture.
• Support leadership in preparing impactful internal briefings, updates, and presentations.
• Collaborate with other EIT Oxford departments to coordinate messaging and joint communications initiatives, and cultivate relationships with academic collaborators, industry partners, and research networks.
• Manage communications budgets, timelines, and external suppliers to ensure high-quality delivery.
• Monitor, evaluate, and report on communications effectiveness using analytics and KPIs.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific discipline.
• Significant experience in science communications within a research-intensive environment.
• Proven ability to develop and execute strategic communications plans for complex scientific content.
• Demonstrated track record of producing clear, engaging, and accurate scientific content across multiple formats and platforms.
• Experience managing media relationships and delivering high-profile announcements.

Skills & Attributes

• Exceptional writing and storytelling skills, with the ability to convey advanced scientific concepts in accessible language.
• Strong understanding of synthetic biology, genome engineering, or related life sciences, and ability to engage credibly with leading scientists.
• Proficiency in digital communications, content management systems, and social media strategy.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with a collaborative approach to working across diverse teams.
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Creative, proactive, and motivated to enhance public and professional understanding of cutting-edge research

Desirable

• Experience in communicating research from multidisciplinary, collaborative projects.
• Familiarity with the culture and operations of large-scale research institutes.
• Professional training or certification in science communication, PR, or digital media.

We offer the following benefits:

• Enhanced holiday pay
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance
• Hospital Cash Plan
• Therapy Services
• Perk Box
• Electrical 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.