Research Lab IT Manager

Overview

The Allen Discovery Center is dedicated to the advancement of basic biology and biomedicine, and to becoming a leader in an integrated approach to the control of biological structure and function. Through a combination of developmental biophysics, computer science, and cognitive science, the work of the Center seeks a multi-level understanding of natural and synthetic living forms. Exploiting novel mechanisms of cellular decision-making, we seek to understand and augment the information processing, computation, and patterning processes that implement the generation and regenerative repair of anatomical structures. Our goal is to complement the mainstream advances focused on the genetically specified hardware of life with new approaches to reprogramming the physiological software inherent in living tissues. Technology is being developed to modulate the bioelectric communication that enables cells to coordinate their activities toward specific anatomical and functional outcomes. Using this bioelectric interface, we develop ways to exploit the collective intelligence of cells toward transformative applications in birth defects, regenerative medicine, cancer reprogramming, and synthetic bioengineering.

What You'll Do

The Research Lab IT Manager oversees the coordination of the Center's technology services within a research lab environment. This position is responsible for ensuring that the Lab effectively supports, advances the needs, and fulfills the mission of the Center's researchers, faculty, and students. The Research Lab IT Manager serves as the primary technology partner for the Center, managing and handling large-scale research data, providing expert consultation on complex scientific and technical initiatives, and delivering operational support as needed and when appropriate. Working closely with Center leadership, the Research Lab IT Manager drives planning efforts to evolve the Center's technology environment and ensures those efforts are implemented effectively. This includes identifying emerging technologies, recommending best practices, and developing solutions that enable scientific discovery while aligning with institutional requirements. The Research Lab IT Manager also leads the evaluation, selection, and implementation of new hardware and software solutions that meet research needs, including researching available options and optimizing them for specific use cases. This position engages with end users in the Allen Discovery Center, as well as Tufts IT staff, and represents the interests of the Center's researchers in those interactions. The Research Lab IT Manager acts as the Center's first line of technical support and serves as its advocate within TTS. This includes triaging issues before they are escalated, representing researchers' needs in technology discussions, and independently evaluating proposed solutions to ensure they effectively support the Center's mission and objectives. This position follows central IT governance, standards, service-management practices, security requirements, technical architecture, and established processes. In cases where central frameworks do not meet local needs, the Allen Center IT Manager develops alternate options and reviews those with central IT partners.

• Consultations Management

Serve as the primary technology consultant and trusted advisor to Center leadership, researchers, faculty, staff, and students, providing guidance on technology solutions that support the Center's research mission.

Provide expert consultation on complex scientific and technical initiatives, helping researchers identify, evaluate, and implement technology approaches that align with central IT's ecosystem while advancing research objectives.

Collaborate with Center leadership and researchers to assess emerging technology needs and opportunities that support current and future research initiatives.

Participate in budget planning activities related to Center equipment and operational resources.

Collaborate with central IT to plan and evolve the Center's technology environment by evaluating emerging technologies, industry best practices and innovative solutions.

Partner with researchers to understand project requirements and advise on technology strategies from concept through implementation.

Represent the interests and technology needs of Center researchers in discussions with Tufts Technology Services and other institutional partners.

Evaluate proposed technology solutions to ensure alignment with research priorities, operational requirements, TTS standards, and the Center's mission.

Develop and maintain informational resources, documentation, and communications related to Center technology services and initiatives

• Technology Operations & Asset Management

Oversee the day-to-day operation, maintenance, and support of the Allen Discovery Center's research technology infrastructure, computing systems, and collaboration platforms to enable scientific and operational activities

Serve as the primary liaison with TTS, lab vendors, and other university partners regarding space- technology needs.

Maintain inventories of Center technology assets, including tagging, tracking, and retirement of hardware, along with documentation and operational standards for Center equipment.

Supervise, train, and mentor junior technical staff, student workers, or interns who support the Center's technology needs.

Advise and collaborate with Center stakeholders on technology and operational practices that support research needs while aligning with university policies, safety requirements, and industry best practices.

• Systems Support

Serving as a technology partner to the Center and collaborating closely with researchers and Tufts Technology Services, this position supports the planning, implementation, and operation of technology resources that advance the Center's research mission, including:

Manage and maintain the Center's technology environment, including research computing systems, workstations, servers, storage, software, and related infrastructure.

Manage the Center's technology infrastructure and shared computing resources, working closely with central IT to align solutions with institutional services while addressing the unique needs of the research environment.

Research, evaluate, and recommend hardware, software, and technology services that support scientific discovery and align with institutional requirements.

Serve as the Center's first line of technical support, troubleshooting and resolving hardware, software, systems, and connectivity issues affecting research and operational activities.

Coordinate user access to Center technology resources, applications, research computing environments, and data resources.

Evaluate, implement, configure, and maintain hardware and software solutions that support the Center's research and operational needs.

Manage large-scale research data resources and associated data management practices to ensure availability, integrity, and compliance with institutional requirements.

Coordinate software licensing, vendor support agreements, technology inventories, and lifecycle management activities.

Monitor, test, troubleshoot, and optimize technology systems to ensure reliability, security, and performance.

Coordinate technology projects, upgrades, migrations, and lifecycle replacement initiatives.

Develop and maintain technical documentation, system standards, operating procedures, and knowledge resources.

• This is a full-time, primarily on-site position, 35 hours per week over five days. Effective support depends on being physically present with the researchers and their equipment; up to one remote day per week may be arranged.

What We're Looking For

Basic Requirements:

Knowledge and experience typically acquired by:

• Bachelor's Degree Data Science, Computer Science, or related discipline
• 5+ years delivering IT support in a research or scientific environment, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Proficiency in operating systems (Windows, MacOS, Linux) and server administration.
• Knowledge of local area networks, network administration, network protocols, firewalls, and data security practices.
• Demonstrated experience in supporting a research-intensive environment, i.e. scientific laboratories, including familiarity with the scientific computing environments and software used there (e.g. MATLAB, R, Python).
• Strong technical skills in the configuration, installation, and troubleshooting of email and web clients, Antivirus software, TCP/IP, and imaging software as well as experience troubleshooting peripherals (printers, scanners) and handheld devices (mobile, tablets).
• Working experience with endpoint management and remote support tools, such as Ivanti Endpoint Manager, Microsoft SCCM/MECM, Microsoft Intune, JAMF Pro, or BeyondTrust Remote Support, etc.
• Strong understanding of emerging AI technologies and the ability to evaluate and recommend their application within the research enterprise, navigating university review and approval processes and considering intellectual property, security, privacy, and other relevant requirements, together with the resourcefulness to use AI tools as a practical aid in diagnosing and resolving unfamiliar, undocumented, or older systems.
• Strong knowledge of desktop security and standards (security/networking).
• Significant experience with backup and recovery strategies, WINS, DHCP, DNS, and TCP/IP, and existing products/solutions for backup in a dynamic research environment.
• Working knowledge of data management best practices for scientific computing, including organizing, archiving, and backing up large research datasets, and verifying that backups can be restored, and evaluating backup products and solutions for a dynamic research environment.
• Demonstrated ability to independently evaluate technology options and vendors or central-IT proposals, and to advocate effectively on behalf of researchers - including identifying gaps between proposed solutions and research requirements, recommending appropriate alternatives, and clearly communicating trade-offs to non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience with IT asset lifecycle management, including inventory, tagging, tracking, and retirement of hardware.
• Experience mentoring, training, or overseeing junior technical staff, student workers, or interns.
• Experience with configuration, setup, and support of laboratory instrumentation and complex lab functions in a sciences/research setting.
• Experience supporting legacy or vendor-locked computers attached to laboratory instruments, including systems that cannot be upgraded or patched and must be kept running safely.
• Experience researching and comparing technology options (storage, hardware, software, services) and presenting clear recommendations and trade-offs to non-IT stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and attention to detail skills are a vital part of the overall success within this position.
• Commitment to the Center mission, and flexibility to solve problems in whatever way needed to enable scientists to achieve their goals.
• Demonstrated excellence in communication and the ability to deliver professional customer service, end user training and consultation, effective team and project work, and to build durable working relationships with colleagues in TTS while still representing the Center's needs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A+, Network+, ITIL, or other industry-standard certifications.

Pay Range

Minimum $108,200.00, Midpoint $135,300.00, Maximum $162,400.00

Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity; generally, new hires can expect pay between the minimum and midpoint of the range.