Assistant Director, IT Cloud and Identity Engineer
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, California, United States, 92002
Assistant Director, IT Cloud and Identity Engineer
Job Category : R&D Support - Ionis
Requisition Number : IONIS003874
Posted : January 30, 2026
Full-Time
Locations Showing 1 location
Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, and with offices in Boston, Massachusetts, and Dublin, Ireland, Ionis has been at work for more than three decades discovering medical breakthroughs that have redefined life for people with serious diseases. We’re pioneers in RNA‑targeted medicines, and our platform continues to revolutionize drug discovery and transform lives for patients with unmet needs. With multiple marketed medicines and a leading pipeline in neurology, cardiology and select areas of high patient needs, we continue to drive innovation in RNA therapies in addition to advancing new approaches in gene editing to provide greater value to patients and are well positioned financially to deliver on our strategic goals.
At Ionis, we pride ourselves on cultivating a challenging, motivating and rewarding environment that fosters innovation and scientific excellence. We know that our success is a direct result of the exceptional talents and dedication of our employees.
With an unprecedented opportunity to change the course of human health, we look to add diverse individuals, skill sets and perspectives to our exceptional team. We continue to invest time, money and energy into making our onsite, hybrid and remote work environments a place where solid and lasting relationships are built and where our culture and employees can thrive.
We’re building on our rich history, and we believe our greatest achievements are ahead of us. If you’re passionate about the opportunity to have meaningful impact on patients in need, we invite you to apply and join us. Experience and contribute to our unique culture while you develop and expand your career!
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, IT CLOUD AND IDENTITY ENGINEER
SUMMARY:
This Senior Engineer–level individual contributor leverages deep experience as a senior infrastructure engineer/administrator to provide technical leadership for Ionis’s cloud and identity platforms and drive modern infrastructure operations. The primary responsibility is to lead cloud engineering across Azure and AWS, manage enterprise identity and access with Okta, and support core infrastructure services for the broader environment. This position partners IT security and IT application owners to tackle complex, cross‑functional challenges and deliver secure, scalable, and highly reliable services across the enterprise.
This position will be on‑site in our Carlsbad, CA location and open to flexible/hybrid schedule.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Cloud Engineering & Operations
Lead cloud engineering and operations for Azure (primary) and AWS (supporting), including platform administration, reliability, performance, and cost optimization.
Design, implement, and manage Azure subscriptions across multiple regions, with a strong focus on scalability, availability, and security.
Establish and maintain operational processes for monitoring, availability, incident response, and continuous service improvement.
Cloud Architecture, Governance & Security
Provide technical governance and oversight for Azure and AWS, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture, security, and compliance standards.
Partner with Information Security to design and implement cloud security controls, including Identity Access Management (IAM), network segmentation, logging, monitoring, and audit readiness.
Collaborate with Information Security to design and enforce identity and access controls such as RBAC, conditional access, MFA, and privileged access management across cloud and enterprise applications.
Identity Access Management
Administer and enhance Okta workforce identity, including authentication, authorization, user lifecycle management, and access governance.
Ensure identity platforms are secure, scalable, and aligned with Zero Trust and enterprise access strategies.
Infrastructure and Platform Collaboration
Support core infrastructure services— including networking, wireless, email/collaboration, storage, backup/restore, and VMware—in partnership with the broader infrastructure team.
Partner with Data, Analytics, and Automation teams to ensure Azure data and analytics platforms (e.g., Azure Databricks) are designed, secured, and operated in alignment with enterprise cloud and identity standards.
Strategy, Documentation and Leadership
Develop technical roadmaps for cloud and identity platforms, translating business and regulatory requirements into scalable, sustainable solutions.
Develop and maintain technical documentation, standards, and runbooks for cloud, identity, and core infrastructure platforms.
Act as a senior individual contributor and technical mentor, influencing infrastructure, security, and application teams and driving operational excellence across services.
REQUIREMENTS:
Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field or equivalent work experience.
10+ years of progressive experience in cloud infrastructure, platform engineering, or related IT roles.
5+ years of hands‑on experience with Microsoft Azure in an enterprise production environment.
3+ years of experience supporting identity and access management platforms such as Okta, Azure AD, or similar.
Demonstrated experience defining cloud or identity architecture and technical standards.
Experience working in regulated, security‑conscious, or highly available environments preferred.
Technical Skills
Senior‑level, hands‑on experience operating Microsoft Azure in an enterprise environment (networking, compute, storage, identity, and PaaS services).
Working knowledge of AWS core services, security architecture, and the shared responsibility model to provide guidance and oversight in a multi‑cloud environment.
Enterprise experience administering Okta (or similar IdP) for workforce identity, including SSO integrations, lifecycle management, and access governance.
Strong understanding of identity, authentication, authorization, RBAC, MFA, conditional access, and privileged access management across cloud and enterprise applications.
Experience implementing cloud security controls such as IAM policies, encryption, logging, monitoring, and network security aligned to modern security/zero‑trust practices.
Solid foundation in core infrastructure: Windows Server and Active Directory (AD, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy), enterprise networking (routing, switching, VPNs, firewalls, load balancers, wireless), VMware virtualization, and storage/backup platforms.
Experience supporting Azure‑based data and analytics platforms (e.g., Azure Databricks, Synapse, data lakes).
Experience with infrastructure‑as‑code or automation tools (e.g., Terraform, ARM, CloudFormation, CI/CD pipelines).
Ability to define standards and reference architectures, document designs and runbooks, and drive adoption across infrastructure, security, and application teams.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience supporting multi‑cloud environments spanning Azure and AWS.
Familiarity with cloud security frameworks, compliance standards, or audit readiness (e.g., SOX, SOC 2, ISO).
Exposure to privileged access management (PAM), zero trust architectures, or advanced identity governance.
Relevant certifications such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Okta certifications.
Experience in life sciences, biotech, or other regulated industries.
Please visit our website, http://www.ionis.com for more information about Ionis and to apply for this position; reference requisition # IONIS003874
Ionis offers an excellent benefits package! Follow this link for more details:
Ionis Benefits
The pay scale for this position is $142,472 to $190,817
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. PRINCIPALS ONLY.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and all its subsidiaries are proud to be EEO employers.
#LI-Hybrid
Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Requisition Number : IONIS003874
Posted : January 30, 2026
Full-Time
Locations Showing 1 location
Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, and with offices in Boston, Massachusetts, and Dublin, Ireland, Ionis has been at work for more than three decades discovering medical breakthroughs that have redefined life for people with serious diseases. We’re pioneers in RNA‑targeted medicines, and our platform continues to revolutionize drug discovery and transform lives for patients with unmet needs. With multiple marketed medicines and a leading pipeline in neurology, cardiology and select areas of high patient needs, we continue to drive innovation in RNA therapies in addition to advancing new approaches in gene editing to provide greater value to patients and are well positioned financially to deliver on our strategic goals.
At Ionis, we pride ourselves on cultivating a challenging, motivating and rewarding environment that fosters innovation and scientific excellence. We know that our success is a direct result of the exceptional talents and dedication of our employees.
With an unprecedented opportunity to change the course of human health, we look to add diverse individuals, skill sets and perspectives to our exceptional team. We continue to invest time, money and energy into making our onsite, hybrid and remote work environments a place where solid and lasting relationships are built and where our culture and employees can thrive.
We’re building on our rich history, and we believe our greatest achievements are ahead of us. If you’re passionate about the opportunity to have meaningful impact on patients in need, we invite you to apply and join us. Experience and contribute to our unique culture while you develop and expand your career!
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, IT CLOUD AND IDENTITY ENGINEER
SUMMARY:
This Senior Engineer–level individual contributor leverages deep experience as a senior infrastructure engineer/administrator to provide technical leadership for Ionis’s cloud and identity platforms and drive modern infrastructure operations. The primary responsibility is to lead cloud engineering across Azure and AWS, manage enterprise identity and access with Okta, and support core infrastructure services for the broader environment. This position partners IT security and IT application owners to tackle complex, cross‑functional challenges and deliver secure, scalable, and highly reliable services across the enterprise.
This position will be on‑site in our Carlsbad, CA location and open to flexible/hybrid schedule.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Cloud Engineering & Operations
Lead cloud engineering and operations for Azure (primary) and AWS (supporting), including platform administration, reliability, performance, and cost optimization.
Design, implement, and manage Azure subscriptions across multiple regions, with a strong focus on scalability, availability, and security.
Establish and maintain operational processes for monitoring, availability, incident response, and continuous service improvement.
Cloud Architecture, Governance & Security
Provide technical governance and oversight for Azure and AWS, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture, security, and compliance standards.
Partner with Information Security to design and implement cloud security controls, including Identity Access Management (IAM), network segmentation, logging, monitoring, and audit readiness.
Collaborate with Information Security to design and enforce identity and access controls such as RBAC, conditional access, MFA, and privileged access management across cloud and enterprise applications.
Identity Access Management
Administer and enhance Okta workforce identity, including authentication, authorization, user lifecycle management, and access governance.
Ensure identity platforms are secure, scalable, and aligned with Zero Trust and enterprise access strategies.
Infrastructure and Platform Collaboration
Support core infrastructure services— including networking, wireless, email/collaboration, storage, backup/restore, and VMware—in partnership with the broader infrastructure team.
Partner with Data, Analytics, and Automation teams to ensure Azure data and analytics platforms (e.g., Azure Databricks) are designed, secured, and operated in alignment with enterprise cloud and identity standards.
Strategy, Documentation and Leadership
Develop technical roadmaps for cloud and identity platforms, translating business and regulatory requirements into scalable, sustainable solutions.
Develop and maintain technical documentation, standards, and runbooks for cloud, identity, and core infrastructure platforms.
Act as a senior individual contributor and technical mentor, influencing infrastructure, security, and application teams and driving operational excellence across services.
REQUIREMENTS:
Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field or equivalent work experience.
10+ years of progressive experience in cloud infrastructure, platform engineering, or related IT roles.
5+ years of hands‑on experience with Microsoft Azure in an enterprise production environment.
3+ years of experience supporting identity and access management platforms such as Okta, Azure AD, or similar.
Demonstrated experience defining cloud or identity architecture and technical standards.
Experience working in regulated, security‑conscious, or highly available environments preferred.
Technical Skills
Senior‑level, hands‑on experience operating Microsoft Azure in an enterprise environment (networking, compute, storage, identity, and PaaS services).
Working knowledge of AWS core services, security architecture, and the shared responsibility model to provide guidance and oversight in a multi‑cloud environment.
Enterprise experience administering Okta (or similar IdP) for workforce identity, including SSO integrations, lifecycle management, and access governance.
Strong understanding of identity, authentication, authorization, RBAC, MFA, conditional access, and privileged access management across cloud and enterprise applications.
Experience implementing cloud security controls such as IAM policies, encryption, logging, monitoring, and network security aligned to modern security/zero‑trust practices.
Solid foundation in core infrastructure: Windows Server and Active Directory (AD, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy), enterprise networking (routing, switching, VPNs, firewalls, load balancers, wireless), VMware virtualization, and storage/backup platforms.
Experience supporting Azure‑based data and analytics platforms (e.g., Azure Databricks, Synapse, data lakes).
Experience with infrastructure‑as‑code or automation tools (e.g., Terraform, ARM, CloudFormation, CI/CD pipelines).
Ability to define standards and reference architectures, document designs and runbooks, and drive adoption across infrastructure, security, and application teams.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience supporting multi‑cloud environments spanning Azure and AWS.
Familiarity with cloud security frameworks, compliance standards, or audit readiness (e.g., SOX, SOC 2, ISO).
Exposure to privileged access management (PAM), zero trust architectures, or advanced identity governance.
Relevant certifications such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Okta certifications.
Experience in life sciences, biotech, or other regulated industries.
Please visit our website, http://www.ionis.com for more information about Ionis and to apply for this position; reference requisition # IONIS003874
Ionis offers an excellent benefits package! Follow this link for more details:
Ionis Benefits
The pay scale for this position is $142,472 to $190,817
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. PRINCIPALS ONLY.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and all its subsidiaries are proud to be EEO employers.
#LI-Hybrid
Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
#J-18808-Ljbffr