Director, IT & AI Infrastructure - Central London - BioTech
£100K - £140k, Bonus & Benefits
Robert Half a partnered with a fast-scaling BioTech based in London.
Relentless Medicine Discovery Needs Relentless Technology!
The way medicines are discovered today is too slow. We believe patients deserve better - and faster. That requires unconventional thinking, advanced computation, and a relentless drive to do things differently.
We are an ambitious biotech organisation uniting AI, computation, and RNAi to accelerate the discovery of differentiated therapies with real-world impact. Our teams thrive on complexity, creativity, and collaboration, and we move quickly to turn insight into action.
As we continue to scale, we are seeking a Director of IT & AI Infrastructure to lead our enterprise technology, security, and AI enablement strategy at a pivotal moment in our journey.
The Role
Reporting to the VP, Head of Applied AI & Informatics, this role owns enterprise IT operations, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and AI enablement across the organisation. You will be accountable for safeguarding systems, data, and intellectual property, while ensuring our technology estate actively accelerates R&D and commercial productivity.
This is a highly visible leadership role at the intersection of IT, security, AI, and biotech R&D, offering the opportunity to shape how AI is embedded responsibly and effectively across the business.
What You'll Do
Infrastructure & Operations
1. Lead Microsoft 365 and end-user computing environments
2. Oversee AWS cloud architecture supporting discovery and computational platforms
3. Ensure availability, performance, backup, and disaster recovery readiness
4. Establish infrastructure standards, documentation, and operational best practice
5. Deploy AI-enabled IT automation for monitoring, support, and knowledge management
6. Partner with internal AI teams to support secure and efficient AI workloads
Security & Compliance
7. Own the end-to-end cybersecurity posture across all systems
8. Implement access controls, monitoring, and incident response frameworks
9. Maintain compliance with GDPR, SOC 2 and other relevant standards
10. Conduct regular security audits, penetration testing, and risk assessments
11. Manage third-party vendors and security risk
12. Govern secure use of enterprise AI platforms (e.g. generative AI tools), protecting IP and sensitive data
13. Define and enforce responsible AI, data sharing, and access control policies
Strategy & Leadership
14. Develop and deliver a multi-year IT and AI infrastructure roadmap
15. Evaluate emerging technologies relevant to biotech, R&D, and computational science
16. Define IT governance and risk management aligned to regulatory needs
17. Own IT budget, licensing, and vendor relationships
18. Partner with R&D leadership on capacity planning and infrastructure strategy
19. Drive enterprise adoption of secure AI tools, including training teams to embed AI into daily workflows
20. Advise senior leadership on AI, security, and operational efficiency
Skills & Experience
Essential
21. 8+ years in senior IT or infrastructure leadership roles, ideally in regulated environments (biotech, pharma, healthcare)
22. Strong experience managing AWS production environments
23. Proven success building and maturing enterprise security programmes
24. Hands-on expertise with Microsoft 365 and identity platforms (Azure AD / Entra ID)
25. Deep understanding of IAM, network security, and encryption
26. Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience
27. Working knowledge of enterprise AI platforms and architectures
28. Experience defining or governing AI use in data-sensitive or regulated settings
29. Ability to translate AI opportunity and risk into practical enterprise outcomes
Nice to Have
30. Experience in high-growth or early-stage biotech/pharma
31. Familiarity with GxP, HIPAA, or similar frameworks
32. Exposure to data platforms, MLOps, or AI/ML infrastructure in R&D contexts
33. Ownership of SOC 2 or similar certifications
Benefits
Committed to Care
34. Healthcare, pension/401(k), and life assurance
Celebrating Success
35. Competitive salary, performance-related bonus, and recognition awards
Unlocking Potential
36. Dedicated personal development time and learning budget
Enjoying Life
37. Social and wellbeing initiatives and a competitive holiday/PTO policy
Robert Half Ltd acts as an employment business for temporary positions and an employment agency for permanent positions. Robert Half is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Suitable candidates with equivalent qualifications and more or less experience can apply. Rates of pay and salary ranges are dependent upon your experience, qualifications and training.