Director

The Wellcome Sanger Institute is a world-leading genomics research centre located on the Wellcome Genome Campus in Hinxton near Cambridge, UK. The Institute undertakes large-scale research and its mission is to use information from genome sequences to advance understanding of biology and improve health. Since its establishment in 1992, the Institute has been a world leader in genome science, making major contributions in the fields of human genomics, infectious disease genomics, cancer and somatic cell genomics, single cell transcriptomics, reference genome sequences across the tree of life and computational genomics. It has shaped the principles of research conduct and culture in genomics, notably in advocating "open data" sharing. Through its close partnership with the "Connecting Science" learning and engagement initiative, the Institute participates in global training, scientific discourse, ethics and social science research and public engagement in genomics. The Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Wellcome Genome Campus operate under the name of Genome Research Limited (GRL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Wellcome Trust.
GRL is now seeking to appoint a new Director to lead the next decade of scientific development at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. The Director develops the scientific vision and scientific strategy to deliver the Institute's mission, positioning it at the forefront of global genome science. They are accountable for fostering an organisational scientific culture in which intellectual creativity thrives. The Director develops an organisational strategy and leads on operational delivery that places the Institute at the highest standards of corporate culture rooted in inclusivity and transparency. The Director also maintains a personal scientific productivity at the highest international standards.
The successful candidate will be a distinguished scientist with an outstanding track record of developing and delivering a genomics science agenda at an internationally leading level. They will have demonstrated ability to set the scientific strategic direction of an organisation/department, to oversee and manage a complex agenda on the global stage and drive a research culture that enables and stimulates bold ideas and decisions. They will be an inspiring leader able to engage staff at all levels, with proven success of building high-performing, diverse and inclusive teams, overseeing
change and the development of organisational capability in a large, complex, multidisciplinary setting. The appointee will have highly effective communication and influencing skills with a track record of working in partnership across organisational boundaries and the ability to work effectively with a range of senior stakeholders and global partners ensuring that the Institute continues to thrive as one of the foremost genomics research centres globally. The Director will have a firm commitment to the highest standards of wider organisational culture and will have a clear understanding and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, actively promoting its development within the organisation.
The Wellcome Sanger Institute has engaged Perrett Laver to support the Search Committee with this appointment and further information can be downloaded from their website at candidates.perrettlaver.com/vacancies using reference number 5717. For informal enquiries about the role please contact Tom Mellor at [email protected] or +44 (0)20 7340 6234.
The closing date for applications is at 9:00am (BST) on Friday 10th June. Applications will be considered by the Search Committee in June. Perrett Laver will conduct preliminary interviews with longlisted candidates, and the Selection Committee will then meet to decide on a shortlist of candidates to be invited to first round interviews at Wellcome’s Offices in London. Selected candidates will then be invited to visit the Institute for further informal and formal meetings before final selection.