IT Infrastructure Manager

Using living cells to treat – and sometimes even cure – cancer is one of the most dramatic advances in modern medicine. Patients with hematologic malignancies have been successfully treated with cell therapies. However, these profound results have not yet been achieved in patients with solid tumors, representing approximately 90% of all cancers. And for patients with hematologic malignancies, there is a need for next-generation cell therapies that can deliver increased response rates and longer duration of response.  We are a clinical-stage company advancing a pipeline of next-generation CAR T-cell therapies for patients with solid tumors or hematologic malignancies. Lyell’s product candidates are enhanced with novel technology designed to generate T cells that resist exhaustion and have qualities of durable stemness in order to drive durable tumor cytotoxicity and achieve consistent and long-lasting clinical response. We were founded by cell therapy pioneers whose decades of research elevated the broader understanding of T-cell biology and its interaction with cancer. In our quest to advance next-generation CAR T-cell therapies, we have built a fully integrated company capable of discovering new technologies, translating science into therapies, manufacturing cell therapy products, and clinically evaluating them in patients. Our culture is based on Science, Respect, Collaboration, and Courage and reflects who we are, the environment we create, and our mission's urgency.  This role will be based out of South San Francisco, California, and reports to the Director, IT Infrastructure & Operations. POSITION SUMMARY: The individual in this role serves as the internal technical expert for Lyell's infrastructure, cloud, identity, and collaboration environments. This is a hands-on individual contributor role responsible for the configuration, implementation, and ongoing operation of these platforms in partnership with Lyell's managed service provider (MSP).  Acting as the bridge between business requirements and infrastructure, this person translates stakeholder needs into scalable, compliant solutions and ensures Lyell operates reliable, validated infrastructure in a regulated life sciences environment. KEY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Design and build infrastructure across cloud (AWS), on-premises, networking, identity, and collaboration platforms in line with best practices, industry standards, and Lyell's technology strategy. Translate approved architectures and designs into detailed configurations and implementation plans; execute builds and changes, validate against requirements, and hand off steady-state operations to the MSP while retaining configuration and implementation ownership Provide key technical input and feedback into architecture standards, infrastructure strategy, and roadmap planning led by IT leadership — drawing on hands-on knowledge of platform capabilities, constraints, and operational realities — and maintain up-to-date documentation of systems configuration and project status Own the configuration, operation, and optimization of Lyell's AWS environment — implementing governance, cost management, and security controls per defined standards and identifying opportunities to optimize and maximize the value of Lyell's infrastructure investment. Configure and maintain on-premises server and network systems, including VMware vSphere clusters, Windows Server, Active Directory, and network platforms (Juniper, Cisco Meraki, Palo Alto Networks) spanning routing, switching, firewall policy, and segmentation. Ensure backup and disaster recovery integrity (e.g., Veeam), including monitoring backup health and resolving exceptions, and manage VPN, and telecommunications infrastructure. Own the configuration, and governance of Okta, Microsoft 365, Zoom, and Slack as core infrastructure platforms, ensuring identity, access, and collaboration systems meet security, audit, and compliance requirements (e.g., access reviews, joiner/mover/leaver, audit logging). Support lab infrastructure, including associated software and attached instrumentation. Serve as primary day-to-day contact and technical authority over the MSP: define scope, review performance against SLAs, oversee implementation to ensure adherence to defined architecture, and ensure service delivery aligns with ITIL practices (incident, problem, change, and request management). Act as the Tier 3 escalation point for the service desk, personally resolving complex or time-sensitive infrastructure incidents during business hours and providing guidance to service desk staff on end-user computing systems. Participate in vendor evaluations, SOW reviews, supplier and hosted-solution oversight, and ongoing contract governance. Own security tooling configuration per confirmed architecture (EDR, SIEM, and related platforms), and partner with the validation team on computer system validation (CSV) to ensure infrastructure designs support compliant, audit-ready operations and SOX and GxP audit activities. Own the configuration, administration, and governance of Lyell's enterprise AI platforms — primarily Anthropic Claude — including user provisioning and access controls, workspace and policy configuration, integration with identity and collaboration systems, and usage monitoring, while partnering with compliance teams to ensure responsible, audit-ready use that meets the company's data-protection and regulatory requirements. PREFERRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE: BA/BS in an information technology field, or equivalent experience, with a minimum of 10 years in IT infrastructure, including 8+ years of hands-on solution architecture, technical design, and implementation across cloud, on-premises, and networking environments. Demonstrated experience in a life sciences or biotech environment, including an understanding of GxP, validated systems, and regulated IT operations. Deep AWS expertise — system enginee