Head of Information Technology

Information Technology

Part of the prestigious Max Planck Society based in Germany, MPFI is its first and only institute in North America. Situated in the growing biosciences cluster on the “John D. MacArthur Campus" in Jupiter, in scenic Palm Beach County in South Florida, MPFI provides a vibrant, collaborative curiosity-driven fundamental science research environment.

The MPFI is seeking a Head of Information Technology (IT) to support the MPFI’s research and administrative computing infrastructure and applications, and provide leadership to the Information Technology department as well as guidance to the institute's management regarding the most effective IT strategy. The selected candidate will have the exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the Institute’s groundbreaking discoveries and rapid advancement of neuroscience.

The selected candidate will lead, and be part of, the technical team that designs, implements, operates, and supports the information technology infrastructure of the Institute. This infrastructure, designed to support the advanced research of the MPFI, includes a high-capacity and high-speed storage and backup environment (Dell Powerscale / Isilon), a physical and virtual server farm (VMWare / Proxmox), high-speed networking (Juniper), a broad portfolio of scientific and business applications, and a diverse client environment (Windows, Apple, Linux). The Head of IT will interface with both the scientific and administrative staff of the MPFI to develop and implement IT strategy and policy for the institute overall.

A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related discipline or the equivalent combination of education and experience is required. A minimum of five (5) years of related technical experience within large, heterogeneous, and state-of-the-art technical infrastructures, preferably in a scientific research environment is required.

The IT team at the MPFI supports a broad range of technology, and the Head of IT is expected to have technical and leadership experience in several of the following areas:

• Administration and provision of a comprehensive suite of IT services appropriate for a top-level research organization or institution
• Implementation and administration of high-performance network and security architecture
• Management of high-availability and robust information services within a technologically diverse environment
• Implementation and management of high-performance and high-capacity enterprise storage either on-premise or in the cloud
• Management of Active Directory and Office 365 - including email and calendaring
• Integration of diverse applications within a common infrastructure - for example customization and implementation of open-source software solutions
• Virtualization technologies and supporting a diverse client base (Linux, Windows, Apple)

The selected candidate must be confident in handling a research-oriented working culture and navigating a fast-paced data-intensive work environment. In addition to the core technical skills, MPFI is seeking an energetic, motivated and proactive leader who will bring enthusiasm to the position and a passion to solve complex problems and facilitate the progress of scientific research. The Head of IT must possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, attention to detail as well as strategic thinking abilities, high levels of discretion, professional judgement, ethics, and confidentiality.