Systems Engineer III

Job Title: Systems Engineer III

Location: San Diego, CA / Hybrid

Position type: Full time

FLSA: Exempt

Department: Information Technology

Strive to Bring a Profound Difference to our Patients

At Avidity Biosciences, we are passionate about the impact of every employee in realizing our vision of improving people’s lives by delivering a new class of RNA therapeutics. Avidity is revolutionizing the field of RNA with its proprietary AOCs, which are designed to combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the precision of oligonucleotide therapies to address targets and diseases previously unreachable with existing RNA therapies. If you are a committed, solution-oriented thinker, join us in making a difference and become part of our growing culture that is integrated, collaborative, agile and focused on the needs of patients.

Avidity Biosciences, Inc.'s mission is to profoundly improve people's lives by delivering a new class of RNA therapeutics - Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugates (AOCs). Utilizing its proprietary AOC platform, Avidity demonstrated the first-ever successful targeted delivery of RNA into muscle and is leading the field with clinical development programs for three rare muscle diseases: myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). Avidity is broadening the reach of AOCs with its advancing and expanding pipeline, including programs in cardiology and immunology through internal discovery efforts and key partnerships. Avidity is headquartered in San Diego, CA.

The Opportunity

The Systems Engineer III will be integral in building and maintaining the infrastructure necessary to support Avidity’s cybersecurity and infrastructure initiatives, playing a crucial role in our technology journey. This role will focus on deploying systems, managing configuration tools, implementing identity management solutions, and integrating SaaS applications with Single Sign-On (SSO) across the organization. The successful candidate will ensure the security, scalability, and efficiency of our IT environment.

What You Will Contribute

• Implement and maintain advanced security measures to protect Avidity’s IT infrastructure, ensuring system robustness and alignment with organizational goals.
• Support remediation efforts based on security assessments, including disabling legacy protocols, enhancing encryption, configuring security policies, and updating systems.
• Deploy and manage systems across various operating systems using tools like Jamf (for Mac), Microsoft Intune and Autopilot (for Windows), and MaaS360 (for mobile devices).
• Implement and manage identity management solutions, ensuring secure access to SaaS tools through SSO integration, with a focus on Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory).
• Optimize IT infrastructure by driving the implementation of new technologies, system upgrades, and consistent security policy application across all devices.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate technical requirements into actionable solutions, aligning IT infrastructure goals with the broader organizational strategy.
• Support security operations by assisting in the deployment of EDR solutions and participating in incident response efforts as needed.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards, including data privacy regulations like GDPR and SOX, while mitigating risks across the IT environment.
• Manage virtualized environments, particularly with VMware, to ensure optimal performance and scalability of Windows-based servers.

What We Seek

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in systems engineering, IT infrastructure management, or a related field with a strong focus on cybersecurity.
• A bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related field. Equivalent work experience will also be considered.
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure.
• Proven expertise in deploying and managing configuration management tools like Jamf, Intune, Autopilot, and MaaS360.
• Strong knowledge of identity management systems and experience with SSO integration for SaaS applications, particularly with Microsoft Entra ID.
• Advanced skills in deploying and managing security agents and systems configurations across various devices and operating systems.
• Experience managing virtualized environments, particularly with VMware, to support Windows-based servers and other infrastructure needs.
• Familiarity with IT systems supporting lab equipment and devices within a biotech or pharmaceutical setting is required.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders across diverse, cross-functional teams.
• Experience in change management, with the capability to lead and execute initiatives that drive organizational improvements.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple time-sensitive projects simultaneously.
• Familiarity with bioinformatics tools and databases is a plus.
• Certifications: At a minimum, certifications like CompTIA Security+ and Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate are required. Certifications such as CompTIA CySA+ and Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate are highly desirable.

What We will Provide to You:

• The base salary range for this role is $140,400 to $155,200. The final compensation will be commensurate with such factors as relevant experience, skillset, internal equity and market factors.
• Avidity offers competitive compensation and benefits which includes the opportunity for annual and spot bonuses, stock options and RSUs, as well as a 401(k) with an employer match. In addition, the comprehensive wellness program includes coverage for medical, dental, vision, and LTD, and four weeks of time off.
• A commitment to learning and development which includes a variety of programming internally developed by and for Avidity employees, opportunities for job-specific training offered by industry, and an education reimbursement program.

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