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Vice President, Information Technology

South San Francisco, California, United States

About Xaira Therapeutics

Xaira is an innovative biotech startup focused on leveraging AI to transform drug discovery and development. The company is leading the development of generative AI models to design protein and antibody therapeutics, enabling the creation of medicines against historically hard-to-drug molecular targets. It is also developing foundation models for biology and disease to enable better target elucidation and patient stratification. Collectively, these technologies aim to continually enable the identification of novel therapies and to improve success in drug development. Xaira is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and London.

About the Role

We are a technology-driven biotechnology company using AI to compress the timelines of drug discovery and development. At Xaira, we believe that becoming a truly AI-native organization is not a future ambition. It is a present imperative. The way we build our infrastructure, adopt our tools, and lead our technology function will determine how fast we can move and how far we can go.The optimal candidate is energized and enthused to push the frontier of what an enterprise can do with all available and evolving AI tools.

We are seeking a VP of Information Technology to serve as the senior-most IT leader and AI evangelist on the team. The optimal candidate is energized and enthused to push the frontier of what an enterprise can do with all available and evolving AI tools.This role will own the full scope of IT: strategy, security, infrastructure, operations, and the team that delivers it all. You will set the technology direction for Xaira, build a high-performing function, and be accountable for outcomes across the organization.

This is a role for an experienced leader who understands that in a company like ours. It is not a support function. It is the infrastructure on which scientific breakthroughs are built. You will be the architect of an AI-native enterprise, embedding intelligence into how we operate, how we discover, and how we scale. You will enable our team to move faster, work smarter, and focus on what matters most: getting medicines to patients sooner.

What You'll Own

Technology Strategy & Architecture

  • Define and own the company's IT roadmap across cloud infrastructure, enterprise applications, end-user computing, networking, and AI-powered systems purpose-built for drug discovery and development
  • Make architectural decisions with long-term scalability in mind, not just near-term need
  • Lead the company's AI adoption strategy across the enterprise, identifying where AI and machine learning tools can meaningfully accelerate research workflows, computational biology pipelines, and clinical operations
  • Embed AI-driven automation into how the company works at every level, from IT operations and security to scientific data workflows, reducing manual overhead and giving researchers more time to do science
  • Identify and adopt emerging technologies in the life sciences AI space that create meaningful competitive advantage in speed and precision

Infrastructure & Operations

  • Ensure the reliability, performance, and scalability of all enterprise systems including the AI, machine learning, and high-performance computing platforms that power drug discovery
  • Build and maintain cloud-first infrastructure that can support the significant compute and data demands of AI-driven research without becoming a bottleneck to scientific progress
  • Own incident management processes including root cause analysis, post-mortems, and follow-through on remediation
  • Establish and enforce SLAs, OKRs, and operational standards with clear accountability

Security

  • Serve as the company's senior security leader in the absence of a CISO, owning the full security posture across network, endpoint, identity, cloud, and application layers
  • Lead all compliance programs including SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA, and applicable life sciences regulatory requirements
  • Build a proactive security culture that encompasses threat modeling, vulnerability management, incident response, and employee awareness
  • Report regularly to executive leadership and the board on risk, security posture, and mitigation plans
  • Make informed decisions on the trade-offs between operational speed and security risk

Team Leadership

  • Recruit, develop, and retain a strong IT organization with the depth to scale alongside the business
  • Build a culture of accountability, professional growth, and operational excellence
  • Develop strong internal talent and succession planning so the organization is resilient at every level

Executive Partnership

  • Act as a trusted technology advisor to the CEO, CFO, and broader leadership team
  • Partner with Engineering, Finance, Legal, People, and Operations to ensure IT functions as a strategic business enabler
  • Communicate technical strategy and risk in clear, accessible terms for non-technical stakeholders

Vendor & Financial Management

  • Own and manage the IT budget with a focus on both fiscal discipline and strategic investment
  • Develop and manage key vendor relationships and negotiate enterprise agreements that support long-term business flexibility
  • Ensure technology spending is purposeful and tied to measurable business outcomes

 

What We're Looking For

Required

  • 15+ years of progressive IT leadership, including 5+ years as the senior IT leader (VP, CIO, or equivalent) at a high-growth technology company
  • Proven experience owning both IT operations and security without a dedicated CISO
  • Deep expertise across cloud platforms (GCP, AWS, or Azure), enterprise architecture, SaaS ecosystems, and modern endpoint management
  • Working knowledge of cybersecurity principles, risk frameworks, and compliance programs sufficient to lead the function with credibility
  • Demonstrated ability to lead effectively in uncharted territory, setting direction and adapting as the business evolves
  • Strong analytical and data-driven approach to decision-making
  • Excellent executive communication skills, with the ability to present to and influence a board of directors
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience

Preferred

  • Experience at a scaled technology or life sciences company
  • Proven hands-on experience with AI/ML infrastructure, LLM tooling, and intelligent automation at enterprise scale
  • A track record of driving company-wide AI adoption, not just evaluating tools but leading the organizational change that makes adoption stick
  • Experience scaling IT through rapid organizational growth
  • CISSP, CISM, or equivalent security credential
  • MBA or advanced technical degree

 

Leadership Competencies

  • Strategic Vision Translates complex business and scientific goals into a clear, actionable IT roadmap. Anticipates organizational needs and makes technology investments that deliver long-term value.
  • People Leadership Builds, develops, and retains high-performing teams. Creates an environment where people do their best work through clarity of direction, coaching, and genuine investment in career growth.
  • Operational Excellence Holds a high bar for reliability, efficiency, and continuous improvement. Establishes the processes, metrics, and accountability structures that keep the organization running at its best.
  • Security & Risk Management Owns the company's security posture end to end. Makes sound, defensible decisions on risk in a regulated, data-sensitive environment and communicates clearly to executive leadership.
  • Communication & Influence Earns trust and drives alignment across the organization, from the lab bench to the boardroom. Able to make technical complexity understandable and compelling to any audience.

 

Compensation

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, seeking to provide an open, flexible, and friendly work environment to empower employees and provide them with a platform to develop their long-term careers. A Summary of Benefits is available for all applicants. We offer a competitive package that includes base salary, bonus, and equity.  The base pay range for this position is expected to be $300,000 - $325,000 annually; however, the base pay offered may vary depending on the market, job-related knowledge, skills and capabilities, and experience.

Xaira Therapeutics an equal-opportunity employer. We believe that our strength is in our differences. Our goal to build a diverse and inclusive team began on day one, and it will never end.

TO ALL RECRUITMENT AGENCIES: Xaira Therapeutics does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias or employees. Xaira Therapeutics is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

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