Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford - Pathogena

Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst

Oxford, UK (Hybrid)

About Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT)

The Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) works to develop and deploy advanced technology in pursuit of solving some of humanity’s most challenging and enduring problems. Guided by world-leading scientists and entrepreneurs, EIT seeks to accelerate innovation by driving scientific and technological advancements across four humane endeavours: health and medical science, food security and sustainable agriculture, climate change and clean energy, and government innovation and the era of artificial intelligence.

EIT Oxford is a new interdisciplinary research and development facility that bridges The Oxford Science Park and Littlemore. Set for completion in 2027, the state-of-the-art facility will have 30,000m² of research laboratories, an oncology and preventative care clinic, plus educational and meeting spaces. The new facility will further EIT’s current partnership with the University of Oxford and become the new home for Ellison Scholars.

Please visit (url removed) for more details.

At the Ellison Institute, we believe that an inclusive, collaborative team atmosphere is just as important to our mission as our scientific aims and methods. We strive to build a supportive environment where everyone feels confident taking creative risks toward innovation. We value emotional intelligence and communicating with empathy and respect for others. We foster a team that is curious, has a deep sense of commitment, responsibility, and the resilience needed to achieve excellence.

About Pathogens

The EIT Pathogena's Mission aims to revolutionise the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases by developing Whole Genome Sequencing-based metagenomic and individual pathogen clinical tools with the ultimate aim of developing an ‘always-on global pathogen metagenomics system with the ability to identify Pathogen X and provide early warning of disease epidemics.’  

Built by a long-established world-leading pathogen genomics team from the University of Oxford, supported by the cloud computing scale and security of Oracle Inc, the Pathogen Mission is designing a global, turn-key solution that systematises how data from genomic sequencing is processed. It aims to develop pipelines to analyse a broad range of pathogens and deliver solutions to laboratories, hospitals, and public health organisations around the globe.

The Role:

As a QA Analyst, you will play a key role in ensuring the quality and functionality of our genomic analysis platform. You will collaborate closely with other members of the EIT Pathogen Programme team, as well as external third parties including Research Software Engineers from Oxford University and development agencies. Your primary focus will be on supporting the testing and validation processes of for our Pathogena product.

Primary Responsibilities: 

·       Assisting in the testing and validation of pathogen data analysis pipelines.

·       Supporting the QA team in ensuring that testing processes are efficient and scalable.

·       Working with senior team members to contribute to manual and automated testing efforts.

·       Documenting test cases and ensuring that defects are logged and tracked appropriately.

·       Participating in testing the cloud deployment of the platform to ensure reliability and performance.

·       Collaborating with the team on continuous improvements to the testing process.

Required qualifications:

We are looking for a curious, self-motivated and detail-oriented QA Analyst who is eager to learn and grow in a supportive environment. You should be proactive in identifying challenges and opportunities to improve the quality of the product. A team player, you will have a passion for technology and a desire to make a positive impact on global health through your work.

While specific qualifications are not required, ideal skills and experience may include:

·       A strong interest in quality assurance and testing processes.

·       Familiarity with basic testing methodologies (manual and automated testing).

·       An understanding of software development processes.

·       A desire to work in a cloud-based environment (such as AWS, GCP, or Oracle Cloud).

·       Good communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively in a team.

·       Experience working flexibly within a fast paced team environment.

Nice to haves:

·       Understanding of quality systems including ISO 13485

·       Familiarity with tools including JIra, Confluence, GIthub.

·       Any exposure to cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

·       Experience in a start-up or rapidly growing organisation

This role is perfect for someone looking to begin or grow their career in Quality Assurance within a cutting-edge technical environment focused on global health challenges.

Terms of Appointment:

·       Eligible to work in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary.

·       Based 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.

Salary Package Includes:

·       Competitive salary reviewed annually based on performance and market rates.

·       Bonus scheme participation.

·       Travel Allowance.

·       Enhanced sick pay and maternity/paternity after qualifying service.

·       Access to Employee Assistance Programme and also Online and Virtual Therapy services.

·       Employer funded Private Medical Insurance and Hospital Cash Plan

·       Access to Perk Box for high street and online savings as well as other discounts and benefits.

·       Pension salary sacrifice scheme, minimum 5% employee and 7.5% from employer

·       Group life cover 4 times annual base salary

·       Group income protection plan

·       Holiday is 25 days a year plus public holiday. In addition, workplace closure between Christmas and New Year. Employees can also purchase up to five additional days.

Location

Oxford, UK/Hybrid. office based on Oxford Science Park with some remote working