People
At Oxford Nanopore, our people are our strength. We prioritise inclusivity, diversity, and personal growth, ensuring everyone's voice is heard and valued. Through various initiatives and mentorship programs, we nurture talent, inspire innovation, and pave the way for the next generation of scientists to excel.
About Oxford Nanopore
Our commitments to people and diversity
Promoting a culture that is inclusive, embraces diversity, and prioritises the development of our people and their wellbeing, is imperative to success at Oxford Nanopore Technologies.
We are fully committed to:
Supporting employee-engagement, by ensuring employees have a voice to contribute ideas that support key decisions.
Continuing to strengthen the skills of our employees through ongoing customised learning and development for all.
Creating an environment in which individual differences and contributions are recognised and valued.
Inclusivity
Our ambition is to build and maintain a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture in the workplace and across Oxford Nanopore’s value chain. We value people as individuals with diverse opinions, cultures, lifestyles, and circumstances and believe in equality of opportunity.
We recently launched a 3-year commitment to the Broadening Horizons initiative with the Royal Society of Chemistry, to sponsor the promotion of careers in chemistry for under-represented minority graduates and PhD postgraduates.
Case Study – Values in Action (ViA)
In September 2022, we introduced ViA, a global collaboration to enhance inclusivity and connectivity across our distributed team of over 1,000 employees. This framework establishes an employee pathway for all individuals to contribute their perspectives and shape our culture and employee experience.
We have carefully selected 42 employee representatives, considering extensive inclusion criteria, to champion this cause. Additionally, we have formed six interest groups called “pods” that represent key themes crucial to fostering an engaged and impactful organisation, including diversity and inclusion, and career development.
Our senior leadership team will support these pods through business unit advocates and sponsors, guiding them in navigating specific areas and fostering innovative ideas for the greater benefit of the organisation. Quarterly Hub meetings, led by our CEO Gordon Sanghera, provide a platform for pod members to share their ideas and solutions, enriching our work environment and driving collective success.
Talent Development
Our goal is to attract, develop, and retain talent at Oxford Nanopore, as well as inspire and nurture the next generation of scientists, through provision of accessible technology and educational support. To strengthen these efforts, we conduct several internal and external programs, such as our Mastery series of leadership management and personal development programs, and unlimited access to LinkedIn learning courses.
Case study – Mentoring at Oxford Nanopore
For Omnia Mohamed, a Protein Biochemist from the Biologics Development Team, Oxford Nanopore’s mentorship programme has helped her find her footing, strengthen her voice as a professional, and chart her career path within the company.
When Omnia joined Oxford Nanopore straight from university, she navigated self-doubt, in addition to an abrupt transition from student to full-time working professional. Three years into the job, she was encouraged to sign up for the mentorship programme and started working with talent development director Helen Cresswell.
Helen provided a safe space for Omnia to talk through her career, share concerns, and seek out advice. With Helen’s help and the support and guidance of her current management team, Omnia was able to identify that she wanted: a customer-facing role and the opportunity to live and work abroad.
Omnia is now getting ready to move to the UAE to join the commercial services team. Omnia has been with Oxford Nanopore for four years and is really enjoying the work. ‘I’ve always been a shy person, and the mentoring programme really helped me get out of my comfort zone. I now have more clarity and confidence to grow and achieve my goals,’ she said.