Associate Director, Research and Computing Operations page is loaded Associate Director, Research and Computing Operations Apply locations Edinburgh, UK time type Full time posted on Posted 2 Days Ago job requisition id R25-77 AskBio Inc., a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG, is a fully integrated gene therapy company dedicated to developing life-saving medicines and changing lives. The company maintains a portfolio of clinical programs across a range of neuromuscular, central nervous system, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease indications with a clinical-stage pipeline that includes investigational therapeutics for congestive heart failure, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, multiple system atrophy, Parkinson’s disease, and Pompe disease. AskBio’s gene therapy platform includes Pro10, an industry-leading proprietary cell line manufacturing process, and an extensive array of capsids and promoters. With global headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and European headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland, the company has generated hundreds of proprietary capsids and promoters, several of which have entered pre-clinical and clinical testing.
Our vision:
Pioneering science to create transformative molecular medicines.
Our mission:
Lead innovative science and drive clinical outcomes to transform people's lives.
Our principles:
Advance innovative science by pushing boundaries.
Bring transformative therapeutics to patients in need.
Provide an environment for employees to reach their fullest potential.
Our values:
Be a Pioneer. We are not afraid of the impossible and to innovate to make gene therapies accessible to those in need.
Cultivate Collaboration. Strive to be the best teammate, actively listen, openly communicate, and embrace diverse points of view.
Embrace Responsibility. We are humbled by the enormity of our mission. We hold a relentless commitment to advance science and clinical outcomes for our patients, families, and caregivers.
Raise the Bar. Continuously drive improvements and efficiencies. Seek and provide constructive feedback. Have a bias for learning and action.
Act with Uncompromising Integrity. Be honest, transparent, and committed to doing what’s right in every situation. Make clear commitments and follow through.
Position Summary
We're seeking an Associate Director, Research Computing Operations 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 related field
8+ years of experience in infrastructure engineering roles
Experience with high-performance computing environments
Proven experience supporting GPU-accelerated computing environments
Strong understanding of storage systems and networking
Experience with infrastructure monitoring and optimization tools
Demonstrated ability to work with scientific computing workflows
Experience managing vendor relationships and contracts
Knowledge of IT security and compliance requirements
Experience with disaster recovery planning and testing
Understanding of IT financial planning and budgeting
Experience with audit responses and compliance documentation
Strong experience with Linux administration and engineering
Extensive knowledge of virtualization technologies, particularly VSphere
Preferred Education, Experience and Skills
Experience with WEKA storage systems
Knowledge of AI/ML infrastructure requirements
Experience supporting bioinformatics workflows
Familiarity with container technologies (Docker, Kubernetes)
Experience with infrastructure automation tools
Understanding of scientific computing software and frameworks
Previous experience in biotech or pharmaceutical industries
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure)
ITIL certification
Security certifications (CISSP, CISM, or similar)
Experience with GxP compliance
Experience with pharmaceutical industry regulations
Previous experience managing technical debt in regulated environments
AskBio Inc. (AskBio) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected status prohibited under Federal, State or local laws. All employment decisions are based on valid job‐related requirements. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our website, you may request a reasonable accommodation to express interest in a specific opening by calling us at (919) 561-6210 or sending us an email at .
Agencies: Please do not contact any employee at AskBio about this requisition. Any resume submitted by a recruitment agency to any employee at AskBio, through any medium, will be deemed the sole property of AskBio
unless
the agency was engaged by AskBio Talent Acquisition team to recruit for that position. All agencies must have a prior executed service agreement with AskBio prior to any search engagement. If a candidate who was submitted outside of the AskBio agency process is hired by AskBio, no fee or payment of any kind will be paid to the agency.
About Us
AskBio Inc., a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG, is a fully integrated gene therapy company dedicated to developing life-saving medicines and changing lives. The company maintains a portfolio of clinical programs across a range of neuromuscular, central nervous system, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease indications with a clinical-stage pipeline that includes investigational therapeutics for congestive heart failure, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, multiple system atrophy, Parkinson’s disease, and Pompe disease. AskBio’s gene therapy platform includes Pro10, an industry-leading proprietary cell line manufacturing process, and an extensive array of capsids and promoters. With global headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and European headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland, the company has generated hundreds of proprietary capsids and promoters, several of which have entered pre-clinical and clinical testing.
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