Description
SENIOR DIRECTOR, INFORMATION TECHONOLOGY
The Opportunity
Sutro Biopharma is seeking an accomplished technology leader to serve as Senior Director, Information Technology. Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, this individual will lead the company's enterprise IT function and play a critical role in enabling our next phase of growth.
This is a highly visible leadership position with responsibility for the full technology portfolio, including enterprise infrastructure, cybersecurity, business applications, scientific systems, data, AI governance and deployment, and end-user services. The Senior Director will partner closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to ensure technology is not only secure and reliable, but also serves as a catalyst for innovation, operational excellence, and scientific advancement.
As a clinical-stage biotechnology company, our success depends on technology that accelerates research, supports regulated operations, protects critical data, and enables informed decision-making. We are seeking a leader who combines deep technical expertise with business acumen, strategic thinking, and a passion for building and leading high-performing teams.
Position Summary
The Senior Director will develop and execute the company's technology strategy while leading day-to-day IT operations. This individual will balance operational excellence with innovation, ensuring the organization maintains secure, reliable, and compliant technology services while modernizing systems, simplifying processes, strengthening data capabilities, and responsibly enabling artificial intelligence across the enterprise.
Success in this role requires an experienced people leader who thrives in a lean, fast-paced biotechnology environment and enjoys partnering with scientists and business leaders to solve complex challenges.
Key Responsibilities
Technology Strategy & Leadership
- Develop and execute a multi-year technology strategy aligned with the company's scientific, operational, and business priorities.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the executive leadership team on technology investments, cybersecurity, digital transformation, AI, and enterprise risk.
- Establish IT governance, operating priorities, and performance measures that ensure technology investments deliver measurable business value.
- Lead technology planning, budgeting, vendor strategy, and resource allocation.
Enterprise Technology Operations
- Provide leadership across all aspects of enterprise technology, including infrastructure, cloud services, identity management, cybersecurity, business applications, scientific systems, data platforms, end-user computing, and IT service delivery.
- Ensure technology services remain secure, scalable, resilient, documented, and compliant with applicable regulatory requirements.
- Lead business continuity, disaster recovery, and technology risk management programs.
- Oversee strategic technology vendors and managed service providers while maintaining strong internal ownership of architecture, standards, and outcomes.
Digital Transformation & Innovation
- Drive modernization of enterprise systems, technology architecture, and business processes.
- Advance data, analytics, automation, and AI capabilities that improve employee productivity, operational efficiency, and scientific decision-making.
- Partner with functional leaders to identify opportunities where technology can simplify workflows, reduce risk, and accelerate execution.
- Champion responsible AI adoption through thoughtful governance, education, and implementation of high-value use cases.
Scientific & Business Partnership
- Collaborate with Research, Clinical Development, Technical Operations, Quality, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, and other business functions to deliver technology solutions that support the company's strategic objectives.
- Strengthen scientific systems, informatics capabilities, and enterprise data management while ensuring appropriate governance, security, and data integrity.
- Foster a customer-focused IT organization recognized as a valued business partner.
People Leadership
- Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing IT organization committed to service excellence, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Build organizational capabilities through coaching, succession planning, thoughtful resource management, and effective use of external partners.
- Promote a collaborative culture that encourages curiosity, ownership, learning, and operational excellence.
Qualifications
The successful candidate will bring:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related discipline; advanced degree preferred.
- Fifteen or more years of progressive information technology leadership experience, including significant responsibility for enterprise IT strategy and operations.
- Experience leading technology organizations within biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare, life sciences, or another highly regulated industry.
- Demonstrated success modernizing enterprise technology environments while supporting business growth and organizational change.
- Broad technical expertise spanning cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, enterprise applications, scientific systems, data platforms, digital transformation, and IT operations.
- Experience supporting GxP-regulated environments, data integrity, and technology compliance.
- Proven success developing high-performing teams and leading through influence in cross-functional environments.
- Outstanding communication, executive presence, and relationship-building skills with the ability to translate complex technology topics into clear business recommendations.
Leadership Profile
The ideal candidate is:
- A strategic technology executive who understands how IT creates competitive advantage.
- A collaborative leader who builds strong partnerships across scientific and corporate functions.
- A thoughtful operator who balances innovation with disciplined execution.
- A decisive leader who establishes clear priorities and makes sound, timely decisions.
- A developer of people who builds engaged, accountable, and high-performing teams.
- An exceptional communicator capable of influencing executive leaders, peers, and technical teams alike.
- A leader who embraces change and continuously looks for opportunities to improve how technology enables the business.
What Success Looks Like
During the first 12-18 months, the Senior Director will:
- Strengthen the company's technology foundation through continued modernization of infrastructure, cybersecurity, identity management, and enterprise architecture.
- Advance enterprise data, analytics, and AI capabilities that improve scientific and business decision-making.
- Simplify and automate key business and research processes through modern technology solutions.
- Enhance informatics capabilities supporting research and development.
- Build an IT organization recognized across the company as a trusted strategic partner that delivers exceptional service while enabling innovation and growth.
Sound exciting? Apply today and join our team!
Sutro Biopharma, Inc. encourages all colleagues to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to the first date of employment.
As an equal opportunity employer, we believe in fostering a culture that is inclusive and values diversity in background and opinions. Sutro Biopharma hires extraordinary individuals into every position in the company and is committed to the diversity of our team. Our company progresses without regard of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability or citizenship status. We are dedicated to creating a safe environment where our employees can grow and succeed together.
We look forward to hearing from candidates who are interested in exploring opportunities with Sutro! Our People & Culture team/hiring managers are unable to respond and do not accept solicitations from third-party agencies.
The anticipated salary range for fully qualified candidates applying for this role at Sutro Biopharma's California based locations will be $260,000 - $295,000 (not including bonus, equity, and benefits). The final salary offered will be dependent on several factors that include and are not limited to relevant previous experience, job responsibilities and duration of experience, the type and length of experience within the industry and education.
About Sutro Biopharma
Sutro Biopharma, Inc., is relentlessly focused on the discovery and development of precisely designed cancer therapeutics to transform what science can do for patients. Sutro's fit-for-purpose technology, including cell-free XpressCF, provides the opportunity for broader patient benefit and an improved patient experience. Sutro is advancing a robust early-stage pipeline of novel exatecan and dual-payload antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), coupled with high-value collaborations and industry partnerships, which validate its continuous product innovation. Sutro is headquartered in South San Francisco. For more information, follow Sutro on social media @Sutrobio, or visit www.sutrobio.com.