Head of IT and Scientific Computing

About BIIE

The Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering (BIIE) is a new interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to innovation in immune engineering. Founded in 2025 through a generous endowment from Fondation Botnar, the BIIE supports scientists in taking on some of the world's most challenging problems in immunology and global health. The institute unites experts across immunology, biomedicine, bioengineering, computational biology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, creating a unique multidisciplinary environment with a mission to make a lasting impact and to train future leaders in immune engineering. BIIE's cutting-edge research spans systems immunology, synthetic biology, and computational immunology – all underpinned by advanced scientific computing and data analysis.

Position Overview

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Head of IT and Scientific Computing to lead the development of BIIE's IT strategy and research computing infrastructure. In this senior role, you will provide overall leadership for the institute's information technology operations and high-performance computing (HPC) resources, ensuring they align with and support BIIE's scientific mission. You will oversee everything from everyday IT services to specialized scientific computing platforms, building a robust, secure, and state-of-the-art infrastructure that empowers our researchers to achieve breakthroughs in immune engineering. This is an exciting opportunity to shape a world-class IT environment from the ground up, working closely with both scientists and administrative staff to enable groundbreaking discoveries and innovation.

• IT Strategy & Leadership: Develop and implement a comprehensive IT and scientific computing strategy for BIIE, aligning technology initiatives with the institute's research goals and growth plans. Provide guidance to senior management on the most effective IT policies and investments, ensuring that BIIE remains at the forefront of technological innovation in research computing.
• Infrastructure Build-Out: Lead the design, deployment, and maintenance of the institute's IT infrastructure, including high-speed networks, servers and virtualization environments, large-scale data storage systems, and high-performance computing clusters. Ensure this infrastructure is robust, scalable, and capable of supporting the demanding data-intensive workflows of BIIE's scientists.
• Scientific Computing Support: Provide world-class scientific computing facilities to the research teams. This includes managing HPC resources (compute clusters, GPU servers, etc.) optimized for high-throughput data analysis and machine learning tasks, as well as implementing advanced storage and backup solutions for large datasets. You will enable researchers to translate their scientific ideas into well-supported computational workflows, removing technological barriers to discovery.
• Data Security & Compliance: Ensure robust data security, integrity, and privacy across all IT systems. Implement and routinely test backup procedures and disaster recovery plans to safeguard critical research data. Maintain compliance with best practices and relevant regulations for data protection, especially in a biomedical research context, and enforce policies to maintain a secure computing environment.
• IT Operations & User Support: Oversee day-to-day IT operations, including networks and connectivity, laboratory and office computing, software applications, and databases supporting research and administration. The Head of IT will interface with both scientific and administrative staff to understand their needs and ensure prompt, effective support for hardware, software, and data workflows. Foster an IT service culture that is responsive and user-focused, enabling staff and scientists at all levels to work efficiently with technology.
• Team Management and Development: Manage and mentor a team of IT professionals and scientific computing support staff. Set clear goals, delegate responsibilities, and cultivate an environment of continuous learning and improvement. Build an in-house team with the skills and motivation to maintain reliable IT services and to develop innovative solutions for new research challenges.
• Strategic Projects & Innovation: Identify opportunities for technical improvements and drive the evaluation and adoption of new technologies (e.g. cloud computing, virtualization, AI tools) that could enhance BIIE's IT capabilities. Plan for the institute's medium- and long-term computing needs, ensuring that our IT infrastructure and services scale with the growth of the institute and remain "best in class" to support cutting-edge science.
• Budgeting and Vendor Management: Develop and manage the IT department budget, ensuring efficient use of resources. Oversee procurement of IT equipment and services, and manage relationships with external vendors and partners (e.g. cloud service providers, hardware suppliers, institutional IT collaborators) to leverage additional resources as needed.

Education:

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering or a related field is required. A Master's is expected, and a PhD is a strong plus for understanding the complexities of scientific research. Equivalent experience with a strong track record in IT leadership may be considered.

Experience:

• IT Leadership in Research Environment: 5+ years of progressive experience in IT and scientific computing, with at least 3 years in a leadership role. Experience working in a scientific research or academic environment is highly preferred. You should have a demonstrated ability to collaborate with researchers, understand their computational needs, and support a research-oriented, data-intensive work culture.
• Infrastructure & Systems Management: Proven experience managing complex, heterogeneous IT infrastructures – including enterprise networks, servers (physical and virtual), and large-scale storage systems. Hands-on expertise in maintaining high-availability, high-performance systems is required. Experience with virtualization technologies and supporting diverse operating systems (Linux, Windows, macOS) in an enterprise or lab setting is expected.
• High-Performance Computing: Strong background in high-performance and scientific computing. Experience deploying or running HPC clusters or cloud computing environments for data-intensive applications is required. Familiarity with job schedulers (e.g. Slurm), parallel computing, GPU acceleration, and managing HPC workflows is a plus. Candidates who have managed HPC resources in either on-premise clusters or using cloud services (AWS, Azure) will be well suited for this role.
• Cloud and Emerging Technologies: Knowledge of cloud computing platforms and hybrid cloud architectures for research IT is highly desirable. Practical experience in integrating on-premises infrastructure with cloud services (for compute, storage, or collaboration) is a plus. Interest or experience in modern data technologies, such as containerization, scalable databases, or AI/ML infrastructure, will be beneficial.
• Security & Data Management: Solid understanding of IT security best practices and data governance. Experience implementing data security measures, backups, and disaster recovery in an environment handling sensitive or valuable research data is required. Familiarity with compliance standards relevant to biomedical data (e.g. data privacy regulations) is an advantage.
• Project Management & Soft Skills: Demonstrated project management skills and the ability to lead complex IT projects from planning to execution. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential – you should be adept at conveying technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and at partnering with scientists to develop solutions. We seek a proactive, resourceful leader with strategic thinking abilities and a hands-on attitude to problem-solving. A passion for enabling scientific innovation through technology is a must.

Joining BIIE as the Head of IT and Scientific Computing offers a unique opportunity to have a profound impact on a growing institute at the forefront of biomedical innovation. You will be a key contributor to groundbreaking research in immune engineering, directly enabling discoveries that could transform healthcare and save lives.

If you are an experienced IT leader with a passion for science and innovation, we encourage you to apply and join us in building a world-class computing environment at BIIE. Together, we will empower researchers to push the boundaries of immune engineering and make a real difference in the world.