Tree of Life Project Management and Operations

Tree of Life Programme

The Project Management & Operations team supports and facilitates the cutting-edge science of the Tree of Life programme. This takes many forms: managing the samples that arrive, advising on wildlife and environmental law, communicating and engaging with the public and partners, and supporting faculty and the Delivery & Operations leadership team.

The team is drawn from a broad range of backgrounds with complementary skill sets. Our goal is to bring focus to the programme, improving operational work in order to free up faculty for scientific endeavour and strategy. We aim to generate efficiency, reduce cost and improve staff wellbeing.

The team can be subdivided into four main areas:

Samples Management – oversees the acquisition of samples from our partners collecting organisms in the field. This team manages sample storage and distribution, and offers our partners strong working relationships so that they can be confident their samples will arrive efficiently and in usable condition.

Wildlife and Environmental Law – provides advice and support regarding all aspects of wildlife and environmental law, both to Tree of Life colleagues and our partners globally. This includes ensuring compliance with regulations and providing practical support where necessary.

Communications & Public Engagement – informs the public, partners, and other internal and external stakeholders about Tree of Life’s science. Most importantly, it means getting people excited about what we’re doing. This can range from producing articles on scientific breakthroughs, running Tree of Life’s social media channels, engaging students with school visits, or appearing at events to show the public what we do.

Project Management – supports faculty and the Delivery & Operations leadership team by translating ideas into deliverables, and implementing strategy. This means managing some of our most high profile projects – including our Sample Tracking System, Darwin Tree of Life and Aquatic Symbiosis Genomics – and delivering their objectives within budget, scope, on time and to a high quality.