Associate Director, IT Infrastructure
Description
Position Summary
We're seeking an Associate Director, IT Infrastructure to lead and transform our scientific computing environment in support of our cutting-edge gene therapy research. This senior leadership position will drive the strategy and execution of research computing initiatives, working in close partnership with our Bioinformatics, AI/ML, and Global IT Infrastructure teams. The role focuses specifically on advancing our scientific computing capabilities through operational excellence, while ensuring our research teams can maximize the value of our high-performance computing investments.
As a key member of the technology leadership team, this position will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and strategic evolution of our research computing environment. The successful candidate will combine deep technical expertise in scientific computing with strong business acumen to deliver innovative solutions that accelerate our research mission. While Global IT Infrastructure maintains our enterprise technology foundation, this role focuses exclusively on the specialized computing needs of our scientific teams, including high-performance computing, GPU-accelerated workflows, and research data management.
Job Responsibilities
Serve as the primary local IT Infrastructure contact for Edinburgh's Bioinformatics and AI/ML teams
Manage and optimize scientific computing infrastructure, including GPU clusters, high-performance storage systems, and virtualized environments
Collaborate with global IT teams to ensure infrastructure alignment with scientific computing needs
Lead technical planning and implementation of infrastructure improvements
Provide technical guidance on architecture decisions affecting scientific workflows
Manage and optimize WEKA storage systems and VSphere virtual environments
Support Linux-based scientific computing environments, leveraging managed services as appropriate
Implement and maintain monitoring solutions for complex computing environments
Participate in capacity planning and performance optimization initiatives
Drive infrastructure automation and continuous improvement
Manage relationships with vendors and technical partners
Vendor & Contract Management:
Manage third-party Linux support contract and contractor relationships
Define and monitor service level agreements
Ensure contractor compliance with company security policies
Review and approve contractor work
Manage vendor performance and escalations
Security & Compliance:
Act as primary point of contact for parent company security audits
Develop and maintain security compliance documentation
Coordinate and respond to penetration testing activities
Implement security recommendations and remediation plans
Ensure infrastructure meets corporate security standards
Participate in security incident response planning
Business Continuity:
Lead disaster recovery planning for scientific computing infrastructure
Coordinate and execute DR testing
Maintain DR documentation and procedures
Develop and maintain business continuity plans
Ensure RPO/RTO objectives are met
Financial Planning & Technical Debt:
Develop long-term capital planning for infrastructure
Manage infrastructure budget and forecasting for AskBio European locations
Identify and track technical debt
Create remediation plans for technical debt
Provide cost-benefit analysis for infrastructure investments
Manage infrastructure lifecycle planning
Develop business cases for infrastructure improvements
Key Competencies:
Technical:
Infrastructure architecture and design
Performance optimization
Problem-solving and troubleshooting
Security best practices
Technical documentation
Business & Management:
Contract negotiation and management
Budget planning and control
Risk management
Audit response and compliance
Strategic planning
Vendor management
Cost-benefit analysis
Interpersonal:
Strong communication skills
Stakeholder management
Team collaboration
Conflict resolution
Customer service orientation
Ability to bridge technical and scientific domains
Leadership:
Technical leadership
Project management
Mentoring and knowledge transfer
Change management
Strategic thinking
Impact Metrics: Success in this role will be measured by:
Infrastructure stability and performance improvements
Stakeholder satisfaction levels
Project delivery effectiveness
Technical problem resolution metrics
Team collaboration effectiveness
Innovation and process improvements
Note: This position requires occasional travel to other company locations and may require some out-of-hours support during critical maintenance windows or emergencies.
This role represents a critical position in our organization, bridging technical expertise with scientific computing needs while fostering strong working relationships between global teams.
Minimum Requirements
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or rela