Sr./Director, IT Infrastructure and Operations

About bluebird bio

At bluebird every role has meaning, every team member is respected, and every day is a chance to fly higher. When you join bluebird bio, you're not just landing a new role, you become part of a company that's pursuing curative gene therapies to give patients and their families more bluebird days. We are doers, thinkers and collaborators who embrace and live by our values:

• Persist for Purpose
• Be Compassionate
• Stay humble and curious
• Keep it real
• Celebrate (sm)all wins

Our innovation is rooted in the diversity of our teams and results are achieved through cooperation and the integration of multiple viewpoints. This is personal and we approach every challenge with radical care.

Sr./Director, IT Infrastructure and Operations

ABOUT US 

We are seeking a Senior/Director of IT Infastructure and Applications to provide strategic and operational leadership for our IT infrastructure, manage the IT operations budget, and lead vendor relationships. You will be responsible for our overall IT operations, including cloud-based infrastructure (with a strong emphasis on Amazon Web Services), on-premises server/network/storage infrastructure, End User Services management, and telecommunications systems. This is a full-time hybrid position (3 days a week) in our Somerville – Assembly Row, Massachusetts office.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the day-to-day operations of Bluebird’s network, storage, security, and AWS cloud infrastructure.
• Develop and execute a cloud strategy leveraging AWS services to meet business objectives, including scalability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.
• Oversee the deployment, monitoring, maintenance, development, upgrade, and support of security systems, servers, desktop devices, IT operations applications, networks, and the service desk.
• Implement best practices for AWS architecture, including security, compliance, high availability, and disaster recovery.
• Manage system configurations, software installations, updates, and upgrades to Windows servers, AWS services, applications, and other infrastructure systems.
• Monitor system performance and availability, proactively taking steps to maximize uptime and performance across both cloud and on-premises environments.
• Manage and mature the IT service desk, ensuring mutually defined SLAs are achieved and continuously improved.
• Develop and maintain strong vendor relationships, including contract negotiation, performance management, and ensuring vendors meet agreed-upon service levels.
• Develop capacity plans and budgets that meet the growth, scalability, and changing needs of the business, optimizing costs across cloud and on-premises infrastructure.
• Maintain a high level of infrastructure uptime in a fast-paced environment, leveraging automation and DevOps practices where appropriate.
• Develop and test comprehensive disaster recovery and business continuity plans, particularly in cloud environments.
• Develop, implement, and maintain IT policies, procedures, and associated plans for security, data center, desktops, and infrastructure based on industry-standard best practices, FDA, and GxP requirements.
• Provide leadership and mentorship to the End User Services team, fostering professional growth and knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand and meet their IT infrastructure needs, particularly in support of biotechnology research and development activities.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A minimum of 10 years of Information Technology experience, with at least 6 years in IT management roles.
• Extensive experience with Amazon Web Services (AWS), including designing, deploying, and managing AWS infrastructure and services.
• AWS certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect, AWS Certified SysOps Administrator) are highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to manage diverse projects simultaneously, requiring detailed analysis, creative problem-solving, time management, and sound judgment.
• Strong vendor management experience, including contract negotiation, vendor selection, and performance management.
• Experience supporting an environment with 200+ end users.
• Experience in small company or start-up environments within the life sciences or biotechnology industry is preferred.
• Experience in computer operations, network management, technical management, and end-user support.
• Familiarity with ITIL processes and experience implementing and/or managing IT incident/service request management, IT configuration management, and computer system validation.
• Experience with SaaS and hosted applications, including Okta, Office 365, and other cloud services.
• Ability to work effectively in a small, fast-paced IT team, demonstrating strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proven budget management experience.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, activities, and tasks simultaneously, prioritizing effectively to meet deadlines.

bluebird is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment.  All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status or any other applicable legally protected characteristics.