Director, Information Systems, Infrastructure & Operations

We are seeking a Director, Information Systems, Infrastructure & Operations, to join our team. This role will be responsible for designing, building and maintaining the company's IT infrastructure, including cloud-based and on-prem servers, storage, databases, backups, network, etc.
The Director will also own the company's ITIL/ITSM process framework and associated technology platform, both of which require significant upgrades. S/he will work closely with the head of Security Engineering & Operations to ensure appropriate controls are in place and effectively maintained and monitored, and with the head of End User Computing & Collaboration to drive effective adoption of ITIL/ITSM processes.
The Director will also partner with these two newly-hired colleagues and the SVP, Information Systems to design and implement a new model for Managed Service Provider (MSP) support that spans help desk, infrastructure support, and security operations.  S/he will lead a team of approximately 3 Vancouver-based employees and will also play a hands-on role in building and supporting infrastructure solutions and in designing and implementing new operating processes. During this period of rapid growth and evolution, the Director may be assigned additional responsibilities (beyond the core responsibilities described above) based on company needs, the individual's experience and expertise, and the availability of resources within IT.   

This position reports to the Senior Vice President, Information Systems and will be located in Boston, MA, USA. The level of the position will be commensurate with the candidate's education and industry experience. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Select, configure, and support enterprise infrastructure solutions including cloud-based and on-prem servers, storage, databases, backups, network, etc.
• Design and drive adoption of robust ITIL/ITSM processes for incident management, problem management, change management, etc.  Lead the implementation and validation of a new service management platform.
• Design and implement tooling to support effective and agile management of cloud computing resources.
• Maintain security of the IT infrastructure by ensuring that appropriate controls are fully implemented across the environment and operating effectively, and that alerts are investigated in a timely manner.
• Define standards and processes (including testing) for system back-ups in line with evolving records retention requirements.
• Define, implement and test the architecture, processes and tools for IT disaster recovery. 
• Develop and implement the IT Business Continuity plan.
• Own solutions primarily intended to facilitate external collaboration and information exchange - e.g. Egnyte, SFTP, MFT
• Own peripheral system including physical access control, printers, etc.
• Manage vendor relationships (e.g. hardware, software and service providers) in the context of both project delivery and ongoing operations to maximize value to Xenon.
• Manage the internal team and external resources to design and deliver effective solutions (people + process + technology) and to seamlessly support those solutions.
• Leverage data and metrics to understand performance trends, enable insights, and promote continuous improvement.
• Contribute to the development and execution of the strategy to evolve the overall IT operating model, including new structure, processes, and ways of working.
• Take on additional responsibilities as the IT group grows and evolves based on company needs, relevant experience and expertise, and availability of resources within IT.
• Ensure compliance with internal processes and standards to support compliance with relevant regulations (e.g. GxP, SOX, privacy). 
• Plan and manage budget proposals and approved budgets in accordance with the Company's strategic and operating plans and Finance policies.
• Develop and propose short- and long-term objectives for the function in accordance with overall Company strategies and plans
• Recruit, lead, direct, develop, coach and evaluate direct reports, if any, in accordance with the Company's Human Resource policies and practices
• Act in accordance with Company policies, including, for example, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and ensure policies are understood and followed by direct reports, if any.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum undergraduate degree in Computer Science or related discipline and at least 10 years of progressive information technology experience in a similar role, of which at least 3 years of the experience is in a leadership/people management capacity.
• Experience in the life sciences industries is preferred, including working knowledge of relevant regulatory requirements and compliance practices.
• Deep technical knowledge of common infrastructure platforms and cloud based offerings including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS).
• Expertise in IT operations including ITIL/ITSM processes and associated systems (e.g. ServiceNow).  ITIL certification is a plus.
• Broad experience with the combination of backups, disaster recovery, and business continuity.
• Experience managing MSP's for infrastructure support, with a track record of ensuring seamless service delivery to end users.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain highly technical information in a concise and effective manner to an audience of varying technical aptitude.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative mindset.
• Effective problem solving, with an emphasis on diagnosing and resolving root causes, and on building and supporting robust solutions.
• Ability to work independently, as a team member, and across the organization with colleagues at any level.
• Ability to work flexibly in a fast-paced environment with a strong work ethic and positive attitude.
• Demonstrated ability to lead continuous improvements in business processes.