Director of IT & AI

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

• Lead Microsoft 365 and end-user computing environments
• Oversee AWS cloud architecture supporting discovery and computational platforms
• Ensure availability, performance, backup, and disaster recovery readiness
• Establish infrastructure standards, documentation, and operational best practice
• Deploy AI-enabled IT automation for monitoring, support, and knowledge management
• Partner with internal AI teams to support secure and efficient AI workloads

Security & Compliance

• Own the end-to-end cybersecurity posture across all systems
• Implement access controls, monitoring, and incident response frameworks
• Maintain compliance with GDPR, SOC 2 and other relevant standards
• Conduct regular security audits, penetration testing, and risk assessments
• Manage third-party vendors and security risk
• Govern secure use of enterprise AI platforms (e.g. generative AI tools), protecting IP and sensitive data
• Define and enforce responsible AI, data sharing, and access control policies

Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and deliver a multi-year IT and AI infrastructure roadmap
• Evaluate emerging technologies relevant to biotech, R&D, and computational science
• Define IT governance and risk management aligned to regulatory needs
• Own IT budget, licensing, and vendor relationships
• Partner with R&D leadership on capacity planning and infrastructure strategy
• Drive enterprise adoption of secure AI tools, including training teams to embed AI into daily workflows
• Advise senior leadership on AI, security, and operational efficiency

Skills & Experience

Essential

• 8+ years in senior IT or infrastructure leadership roles, ideally in regulated environments (biotech, pharma, healthcare)
• Strong experience managing AWS production environments
• Proven success building and maturing enterprise security programmes
• Hands-on expertise with Microsoft 365 and identity platforms (Azure AD / Entra ID)
• Deep understanding of IAM, network security, and encryption
• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience
• Working knowledge of enterprise AI platforms and architectures
• Experience defining or governing AI use in data-sensitive or regulated settings
• Ability to translate AI opportunity and risk into practical enterprise outcomes

Nice to Have

• Experience in high-growth or early-stage biotech/pharma
• Familiarity with GxP, HIPAA, or similar frameworks
• Exposure to data platforms, MLOps, or AI/ML infrastructure in R&D contexts
• Ownership of SOC 2 or similar certifications

Benefits

Committed to Care

• Healthcare, pension/401(k), and life assurance

Celebrating Success

• Competitive salary, performance-related bonus, and recognition awards

Unlocking Potential

• Dedicated personal development time and learning budget

Enjoying Life

• Social and wellbeing initiatives and a competitive holiday/PTO policy

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