Team Lead (Strain Development)

Job title:

Team Lead (Strain Development)

Company

Oxitec

Job description

About UsWe are a team of passionate individuals from 15 countries, developing ground-breaking biological technologies designed to sustainably, and safely, control arthropods that transmit diseases and destroy crops. We do this work to improve lives and livelihoods around the world in the face of the growing threats that arthropods pose to human health and the global food supply.Whilst what we do relates to developing insect control technologies, our organisation is about people and in its service to people.We are strongly committed to a set of values and principles and foster a culture of trust, respect, creativity, and accountability. Click to read about our principles, and click to read our CEO’s blog on trust and our corporate culture.Purpose of the JobWe are seeking an experienced Team Lead who will join a dynamic project dedicated to the research and development of our self-limiting technology in insects that spread disease, damage crops and harm livestock. You will join our Strain Development Division, a team who are focused on the development of transformation methods and handling techniques that will streamline our strain development processes, followed by the generation and characterisation of self-limiting strains for future use in field operations.This role requires the individual to be highly motivated and capable to provide leadership in our R&D team to meet our project objectives and company goals. This includes guiding the direction of scientific work and the nurturing people in small teams to meet project objectives, as well as helping to maintain a safe and functional working environment. This role will span multiple company projects and will require the individual to be able to prioritise competing project demands at any given time.To be successful at this job, you will need to show a keen interest in insect biology, have a self-starting attitude, show strong organisational skills, and demonstrate original thinking and attention to detail. Your duties will range widely from equipment procurement to experimental design, execution, analysis and reporting. You will be able to record and analyse data precisely and timely, as well as prepare presentations to report data to Senior Leadership teams and Project Managers. You will be able to manage both planned and unplanned workstreams, responding to company priorities.You must have extensive experience of generating and interpreting data and will need to take a hands-on approach, working closely with your team as well as our molecular and rearing development departments to test, improve and validate new insect husbandry, genetic transformation methods and strain phenotypes. You will be able to work independently while maintaining a strong team ethos, to demonstrate good laboratory practices, and to follow SOPs. Excellent communication skills and an enthusiasm for Oxitec’s mission are essential.ResponsibilitiesWorking under the guidance of the Head of Research as well as the Program Lead, your key responsibilities will involve ensuring laboratory spaces are fully compliant with required regulations and equipped in a way that meets all of the project needs, generating transformation methods and genetically engineered strains meeting a set target product profile, and nurturing the nurturing people in small teams to meet project objectives. A respectful relationship with any partner organisations is expected.People management

• Daily management of a team (1-3 direct reports) to meet project and company objectives, including direct line management reports and functional team management.
• Set clear expectations for staff, review progress and provide feedback and guidance.
• Provide regular and clear communication to Group Lead, Division Lead and PM’s on workstream progress, experiments, staffing, timelines, concerns etc.
• Assist Group Leads/Division Lead/Project Managers with budgeting and resourcing exercises.
• Hold yourself staff accountable through management of your own and their performance.
• Work closely with partner organisations and maintain strong and collaborative relationships with them.

Scientific

• Lead a small team tasked with developing the transformation methods necessary to generate self-limiting strains and assess them against Oxitec’s target product profile metrics.
• Conduct experiments according to specified protocols.
• Work closely with the molecular biology department to ensure rapid feedback on strain characterisation.
• Design and run experiments independently, but in full alignment with program goals and with the endorsement of your line manager and Program Lead.
• Characterise the behaviour and biology of transgenic strains.
• Maintain insect colonies.
• Carry out literature reviews to guide experimental testing: collect, analyse, and interpret data.
• Steer the direction of the work based on interpretation of results and project requirements.
• Report data in meetings throughout the company, to audiences with various technical knowledge, and write clear and concise reports for internal as well as external review.
• Have a clear understanding of the commercial impact of the work and responsibilities and strive to optimise performance.

Quality Management

• Manage and train any direct report in line with SOPs and training records.
• Support the team’s compliance to established procedures, regulations and health and safety.
• Write and update SOPs and risk assessments.
• Observe daily processes and identify points for improvement.
• Ensure that team members completely document their activities in lab books or other applicable records.
• Follow Health & Safety and containment requirements for all activities.
• Provide occasional weekend support as part of a rota within the R&D team.

Skills, Experience, and Education Requirements

• Experience with insect/arthropod transformation is essential.
• An MSc or PhD in a relevant discipline (e.g. entomology, biology, biochemistry).
• Track record of scientific diligence including valuing careful generation and recording of data.
• Demonstrated technical, organisational, and people management abilities appropriate for the role.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are essential.
• Experience with animal husbandry and/or colonies of invertebrates is desirable.
• Previous experience in a leadership/mentorship role is desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with a wide variety of stakeholders including junior and senior staff members.
• Strong attention to detail, with excellent timekeeping standards and responsiveness.
• Proficiency in R/R Studio or Excel and experience in using statistics is highly desirable.

Behavioural Requirements

• Committed to, and passionate about, the Oxitec mission and values.
• Adaptable and flexible, thriving and being resilient in an environment of change and ambiguity.
• Responsive to the needs of an international business working across different time zones, adapting working patterns in-line with business requirements.
• Decisive and assertive with a driven and proactive approach.
• Positive, humble, co-operative, and professional.
• Works with a sense of urgency and solves things promptly.
• Resilient and persistent in an innovative and constantly changing environment.

Expected salary

Location

Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Job date

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 22:55:44 GMT

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