IT & Security Lead

Parallel Bio•San Francisco, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

At Parallel Bio, we are leveraging the human immune system to unlock safer, more effective drugs. We believe immunotherapies are the future of medicine, but their discovery is hindered by outdated models that fail to capture the complexity of the human immune system. Our platform overcomes these challenges by combining best-in-class human immune organoids with massive scale and advanced computational methods, including AI and machine learning. This allows us to generate unprecedented, population-scale insights into human health and disease. We can rapidly discover new drugs that we know will work in patients from the start and understand how they will perform across an entire population—something not possible with today's technology. This knowledge will allow us to engineer therapies that will work for as many people as possible, ensuring a safe and effective cure for everyone. We are a fast-paced, venture-backed company at a pivotal moment of growth. Join us on our journey as we create new tools to push the boundaries of what is possible. Parallel Bio is building the foundation model for human drug response, trained on patient-derived organoid data at unprecedented scale. We are a multi-site team operating automated wet labs, managing PHI under HIPAA, and scaling rapidly. We are looking for our first dedicated IT hire to own corporate IT end-to-end across identity, devices, SaaS platforms, network infrastructure, and end-user support. This is a hands-on role today with a clear path toward building the IT function as we scale. You will inherit a functioning stack along with active vendor engagements for network infrastructure and endpoint/identity security. Your job is to operationalize what exists, rationalize what is fragmented, and own these vendor relationships with an eye toward evolving our approach as the company grows. This role is for someone who can troubleshoot a WiFi issue in the morning, negotiate a vendor contract at lunch, and draft a multi-site IT roadmap in the afternoon. You should be organized, technically capable, and comfortable operating across strategic and tactical work.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in IT operations, including hands-on support, systems administration, and vendor management.
Practical experience administering SSO/SAML in Google Workspace, including users, groups, and app integrations, with the ability to articulate what a long-term sustainable IDP/IAM architecture looks like and plan migration paths as the company scales.
Hands-on MDM experience with macOS (Jamf strongly preferred); familiarity with iOS and Windows device management.
Experience with SaaS administration and license management across a growing tool stack.
Strong understanding of network fundamentals: VLANs, WiFi segmentation, firewall basics, and troubleshooting.
Experience managing external vendors and contractors, including setting expectations, tracking deliverables, and holding accountability.
Clear, concise technical writing skills for documentation and knowledge base content.
Excellent communication and customer service abilities; comfortable supporting executives and bench scientists alike.
Ability to work on-site in San Francisco with occasional travel to other company sites.

Nice To Haves

Experience building or scaling an IT function from the ground up.
Experience in biotech, life sciences, or environments with HIPAA/PHI requirements.
Familiarity with UniFi or similar network equipment.
Experience with EDR/endpoint protection platforms.
Exposure to compliance frameworks: SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, NIST.
Scripting familiarity (Python, Bash, PowerShell) for automation.
Experience with no-code/low-code automation tools.
HRIS integration experience.
Familiarity with documentation and project management tools.

Responsibilities

Day-to-Day IT Operations
Provide reliable, hands-on IT support for in-office and remote employees across multiple company sites, resolving help desk tickets with excellent customer service.
Support our MDM fleet comprising macOS, iOS, and Windows devices.
Execute onboarding and offboarding workflows, including provisioning accounts, configuring devices, and revoking access in coordination with HR/People Operations.
Manage daily procurement and asset management: hardware purchasing, lifecycle tracking, and inventory accuracy from purchase to decommission.
Troubleshoot on-site issues including basic network problems, A/V systems, and lab-adjacent equipment connectivity.
Tech Stack Rationalization & Implementation
Own Google Workspace administration, including users, groups, SSO/SAML integrations, and role-based access controls. Identify what a sustainable IDP and IAM architecture looks like as we scale and plan the migration path.
Rationalize our SaaS stack: audit existing tools, consolidate redundant licenses, implement proper SSO where missing, and manage the full license lifecycle (procurement, seat allocation, renewals, decommissioning).
Maintain and improve integrations across our core systems: Google Workspace, MDM, HRIS, and collaboration tools.
Create and maintain clear, accessible IT documentation for technical and non-technical audiences.
Network Infrastructure
Serve as the internal owner for network infrastructure across all sites, partnering with external vendors on design, implementation, and ongoing support.
Ensure appropriate network segmentation across corporate, lab, and guest environments.
Evaluate and evolve our network management approach as the company scales.
Security & Compliance
Partner with security vendors on endpoint protection, identity management, and compliance controls. Own these vendor relationships and manage engagements effectively.
Support security hygiene including access reviews, identity security tasks, and audit evidence gathering for SOC 2 and HIPAA.
Evolve our security operations approach as the company scales, working with leadership to determine the right model and resourcing.
Vendor & Stakeholder Management
Manage relationships with IT and security vendors, ensuring clear scope, accountability, and value delivery.
Communicate proactively with stakeholders across the company through regular updates on IT initiatives, clear escalation paths, and responsive support.
Contribute to IT initiatives and projects, managing priorities and ensuring execution against timelines.