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Job Description

Job DescriptionJob Summary

Reporting to the Chief Business and Corporate Affairs Officer, the Executive Director of IT will own and operationalize technology across the company, while helping to define the company's enterprise approach to AI. This is a doer-and-manager role: you will be responsible for the day-to-day reliability, security, and scalability of our IT platform (managing an outside IT vendor who handles much of the tactical work, including helpdesk, infrastructure support, provisioning, etc.), while also leading the technical implementation/support of our enterprise AI platform and partnering with other executives/teams to ensure AI is deployed securely and responsibly at the company.

We're looking for someone who has run IT operations at a small- to mid-size biotech/pharmaceutical company before, understands how to professionalize and scale a technology function as a company grows, and can be a strong internal partner to R&D, Clinical, Regulatory, and G&A teams. The ideal candidate also brings some familiarity with the modern AI landscape (LLM platforms, AI agents, automation tools) and is excited to help lead its responsible adoption company-wide.

Responsibilities

IT Operations & Infrastructure

• Own overall IT operations, infrastructure, and end-user technology experience for the company
• Manage and hold accountable an outside/outsourced IT vendor, including setting/reviewing Service Level Agreements, reviewing performance, escalating issues, and ensuring the vendor relationship delivers the expected value
• Develop and maintain the company's IT roadmap: hardware/software lifecycle management, network and infrastructure architecture, cloud services, and business systems (e.g., ERP, CRM, HRIS, QMS, and other collaboration tools)
• Lead procurement and vendor management for IT-related contracts, software licensing, and hardware purchasing, including negotiating terms and managing budgets
• Establish and enforce IT policies, procedures, and documentation (onboarding/offboarding, access management, asset management, disaster recovery/business continuity)
• Own cybersecurity posture in partnership with the outside vendor and any specialized security consultants, including endpoint protection, identity and access management, phishing/security awareness training, and incident response planning
• Support compliance requirements relevant to biotech (e.g., data integrity, 21 CFR Part 11 considerations if applicable, SOC 2 or similar frameworks depending on partnerships, and general data privacy practices)
• Serve as the primary internal point of contact for all things IT, triaging escalations the outside vendor can't resolve, and being the face of IT to employees and leadership
• Manage the IT budget and make build-vs-buy and in-house-vs-outsource recommendations as the company scales
• Partner with HR/People team on new hire equipment provisioning and technology onboarding experience
• Evaluate and implement new tools and platforms as the organization grows, bringing a scalable, forward-thinking mindset to technology decisions

Enterprise AI Strategy & Adoption

• Be part of a team that develops/evolves the company's enterprise AI strategy, including identifying high-value use cases across development, clinical, regulatory, commercial, quality, and G&A functions
• Provide IT support to the selection, piloting, and rollout of AI platforms and tools (e.g., LLM-based assistants, specialized scientific AI tools, workflow automation), ensuring they are properly integrated, secured, and supported within existing IT infrastructure
• Be a member of a team that establishes AI governance: data privacy and security guardrails, responsible use policies, model risk management, and compliance considerations specific to a regulated biotech environment (e.g., data integrity, IP protection, avoiding inadvertent disclosure of proprietary or clinical data)

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of progressive IT experience, including experience managing IT operations for a company in the 50–200 employee range
• Demonstrated experience managing outsourced/third-party IT vendors, including setting expectations, evaluating vendor performance, and knowing when to push back or switch providers
• Strong working knowledge of core IT infrastructure: networking, cloud computing platforms, endpoint management, identity/access management, and common business SaaS platforms
• Practical cybersecurity knowledge: able to implement and oversee basic security best practices even if not a dedicated security specialist
• Previous exposure to AI/ML tools and platforms, with an understanding of the current generative AI and enterprise AI landscape (LLM platforms, AI agents, automation tools)
• Experience playing a role in an AI or major technology rollout, ideally taking an initiative from concept through pilot to broad adoption is preferred
• Experience managing IT and/or technology budgets and vendor contracts/negotiations
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical issues to non-technical stakeholders and executives, and to translate technical concepts into business strategy
• A pragmatic, operational mindset: comfortable being hands-on when needed, while also knowing when and how to delegate to outside vendors and partners

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience in biotech, pharma, or another regulated environment (familiarity with GxP, data integrity requirements, or validated systems is a strong plus)
• Experience scaling IT infrastructure and processes as a company grows headcount (e.g., 50 → 150+ employees)
• Experience with compliance frameworks such as SOC 2, HIPAA, or similar, including as applied to AI governance and regulated documentation
• Experience working with HR/Corporate Affairs teams to build organizational AI buy-in and drive change management/adoption across a cross-functional, highly skilled workforce (scientists, physicians, executives, financial professionals) with varying degrees of technical proficiency
• Background in data science, informatics, or a related technical field
• MBA or advanced technical degree (not required, but relevant)

Location and travel:

• This is a hybrid role (at least 50% of the time required in the Yardley, PA office)
• Candidate should be based in/around the greater Philadelphia area
• Occassional travel may be required

Savara provides comprehensive benefits including:

• Highly competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts for health care and dependent care expenses
• Paid time off and paid holidays, including Dec 24-Jan 1
• Paid parental leave
• 401k with highly competitive match
• Life, AD&D, STD and LTD insurance coverage

Savara’s compensation can include an hourly rate, bonus, and equity. The salary range for this role is $230,000 through $275,000.

About Savara:

Savara is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on rare respiratory diseases. Our lead product candidate, MOLBREEVI*, is an inhaled recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in Phase 3 development for autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (autoimmune PAP). MOLBREEVI is delivered via a proprietary investigational eFLOW® Nebulizer System (PARI Pharma GmbH) specifically developed for inhalation of MOLBREEVI.

Our management team has significant experience in orphan drug development and pulmonary medicine, identifying unmet needs, and effectively advancing product candidates to approval and commercialization.

Our goal is to become a leader in rare respiratory disease therapeutics through the development and commercialization of novel, best-in-class medicines that address unmet medical needs in this field.

Savara is an equal opportunity employer.

*MOLBREEVI is the FDA and EMA conditionally accepted trade name for molgramostim inhalation solution. It is not approved in any indication. MOLBREEVI is a trademark of Savara Inc.