Director, Compute & Data Infrastructure

Job Title: Director, Compute & Data Infrastructure
Annual Base Salary: DOE, $175,000-$232,000 along with bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits package
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Our Mission
Formerly known as the Ellison Institute of Technology Los Angeles, the Ellison Medical Institute strives to spark innovation, leverage technology, and drive interdisciplinary, patient-centered research to continually enhance health, reimagine and redefine cancer care, and transform lives.
 
Established in 2016 as a medical research and development center, the Institute features innovation labs for artificial intelligence and molecular analytics and was among the first organizations to vertically integrate the interdisciplinary study and treatment of disease. We offer multifaceted programs, including a preventative medicine and cancer clinic, cross-disciplinary research laboratories, a health policy think-tank, and community outreach and educational programs.

Please visit emila.org for more details.

Job Summary
At the Ellison Medical Institute, we are seeking an accomplished Director, Compute & Data Infrastructure to architect, scale, and operationalize the research computing and data foundations that power discovery across digital pathology, multi-omics, computational modeling, and AI-driven science.

This leader owns the strategy and execution of our compute, storage, and data ecosystems—building unified architectures that ensure research data is visible, interoperable, well-governed, and fully compliant with regulatory, sponsor, and institutional requirements. The role is central to establishing the Institute’s readiness for artificial intelligence by delivering robust metadata standards, scalable data platforms, and high-performance computing environments designed for modern ML workflows.

The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise in cloud/hybrid research computing, a strong understanding of biomedical data governance, and the ability to translate scientific needs into scalable infrastructure roadmaps. This is a high-impact, highly cross-functional position working closely with scientific, clinical, engineering, IT, and operational leaders. You will guide cloud partnerships, optimize technology investments, and mentor a high-performing technical team committed to supporting world-class research.

Why You Should Join Us:

• Build the Foundation for AI-Driven Science: Develop the compute and data architectures that enable cutting-edge machine learning, digital pathology, and multi-omic research.
• Directly Accelerate Discovery: Shape systems that allow scientists to generate insights faster, collaborate more effectively, and advance breakthroughs from concept to clinic.
• Lead at the Intersection of Science & Technology: Partner with principal investigators, data scientists, clinicians, IT, and executive leadership to align infrastructure with transformative scientific priorities.
• Operate With Autonomy and Purpose: Drive strategy in a mission-driven environment that values innovation, ownership, and technical excellence.
• High Visibility, High Impact: Your work influences nearly every aspect of research operations—enabling reproducibility, compliance, and long-term institutional success.

Key Responsibilities

Infrastructure Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute a unified compute and data infrastructure strategy across on-premises and cloud environments.
• Build scalable, secure, cost-efficient architectures that support long-term research goals.

Data Governance & Centralization 

• Establish centralized visibility, governance, and lifecycle management for research data assets aligned with HIPAA, GxP, and FDA data integrity requirements.
• Ensure systems support auditability, traceability, and reproducible science, including IND-relevant workflows.

Operational Excellence 

• Oversee compute, storage, networking, and data pipeline operations to ensure resilience, reliability, and performance. 
• Manage cloud and vendor partnerships to support institutional strategy and optimize cost.

AI/ML Enablement 

• Architect modern data platforms, metadata standards, and high-performance computing environments optimized for AI/ML and automation.
• Partner with scientific teams to integrate platforms with emerging research workflows.

Cross-Functional Alignment

• Collaborate with scientists, engineers, IT, and leadership to translate research requirements into actionable technical roadmaps.
• Present recommendations, performance insights, and future-state strategies to senior leadership.

Team Development 

• Lead, mentor, and develop systems engineers, DevOps engineers, software engineers, and other technical staff.
• Foster a culture of excellence, reliability, and innovation.

Knowledge Sharing & Communication 

• Create documentation, tutorials, and training resources to help researchers adopt compute and data platforms.
• Present platform capabilities, innovations, and best practices through internal and external forums.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Required Education:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field required; Master’s or Ph.D. strongly preferred.
• Required Experience:
  • 8+ years years leading compute and data infrastructure in life sciences, research computing, or similarly complex environments.
  • Proven expertise with cloud-native and hybrid architectures, scientific data management, distributed storage, and metadata/catalog systems.
  • Demonstrated success enabling research through infrastructure, ideally in digital pathology, computational biology, or computational drug discovery.
  • Strong understanding of data governance, integrity, and compliance frameworks relevant to biomedical research (HIPAA, GxP, FDA).
  • Experience in strategic planning, budget management, vendor negotiations, and cloud cost optimization.
  • High scientific fluency with the ability to partner effectively with discovery, translational, and clinical leaders.
  • Advanced proficiency in financial modeling, valuation, deal structuring, and strategic analysis.
• Required Skills:
  • Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and partner effectively with scientists, IT, and data professionals.
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills, capable of translating complex technical concepts into actionable strategies for non-technical stakeholders.
  • Strong strategic thinking with a record of operational excellence and innovation.
  • Self-starter with experience in a fast-paced environment preferred.

For the safety and health of employees, guests, and patients, the Ellison Medical Institute may mandate vaccination requirements for employment. The Ellison Medical Institute's policies are always subject to review and change to ensure they are appropriate under the circumstances.

The Ellison Medical Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We believe that an inclusive, collaborative team environment is just as important to our mission as stethoscopes and microscopes. We strive to always provide employees a supportive atmosphere, so they feel confident taking creative risks toward innovation. The Ellison Medical Institute values emotional intelligence and communication with empathy and respect for others. We seek to build a diverse group of people who are curious, have a deep sense of responsibility, and the grit needed to achieve excellence.