Senior Engineer, Systems & Network

Crinetics is a pharmaceutical company based in San Diego, California, developing much-needed therapies for people with endocrine diseases and endocrine-related tumors. We were founded by a dedicated team of scientists with the simple belief that better therapies developed from rigorous innovation can lead to better lives. Our work continues to make a real difference in the lives of patients. We have a prolific discovery engine and a robust preclinical and clinical development pipeline. We are driven by science with a patient-centric and team-oriented culture. Crinetics is known for its inclusive workplace culture. We are also a dog-friendly workplace. This is an exciting time to join Crinetics as we shape our organization into the world’s premier fully-integrated endocrine company from discovery to patients. Join our team as we transform the lives of others.

Position Summary:

The Senior Engineer, Systems and Network will play a critical role in designing, implementing, and maintaining the robust and secure IT infrastructure that supports our rapidly growing global biotech operations and first commercial product launch. This role will be a key contributor in ensuring the reliability, performance, and security of our on-premises and cloud-based systems, including our Microsoft-centric environment, Azure services, and AWS. Based in our San Diego headquarters, this individual will collaborate closely with IT colleagues, scientists, and business stakeholders to deliver solutions that enable innovation, compliance, and business continuity across our San Diego and future international locations. This role requires a proactive individual with a strong technical foundation, excellent problem-solving skills, and the ability to manage complex projects in a dynamic environment.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities:

These may include but are not limited to:

• Design, configure, and deploy network infrastructure (LAN, WAN, WLAN, VPN, SASE), server infrastructure (physical and virtual, primarily Windows Server), storage solutions, and cloud services (primarily Microsoft Azure).
• Perform advanced systems administration tasks, including server patching, configuration management, performance monitoring, troubleshooting, and capacity planning for both on-premises and cloud environments.
• Manage and maintain network devices (firewalls, switches, routers, load balancers), ensuring optimal performance, security, and availability. Implement and enforce network security policies and procedures.
• Architect, deploy, and manage resources within our Microsoft Azure environment, including virtual machines, storage, networking, security services, and serverless technologies. Optimize cloud costs and performance.
• Implement and maintain security best practices across all systems and networks, ensuring compliance with relevant industry regulations and practices(e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, GxP, SOX). Participate in security audits and vulnerability assessments.
• Ensure secure and reliable remote access for our remote contractors and international offices. Implement and support collaboration tools and platforms.
• Collaborate with scientific staff to understand and support the IT requirements of our biology and chemistry labs, including instrument connectivity and data management.
• Participate in the development, testing, and maintenance of disaster recovery and business continuity plans for IT systems and infrastructure.
• Create and maintain comprehensive documentation of network topologies, system configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting steps.
• Liaise with external vendors for hardware, software, and services, ensuring effective communication and service delivery.
• Lead or participate in IT infrastructure projects, ensuring timely completion within budget and scope.
• Participate in the planning and execution of IT infrastructure deployments for international locations.

Education and Experience:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field. Equivalent experience may be considered.  
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in systems and network engineering roles, with a strong emphasis on Microsoft technologies and cloud environments.
• Extensive experience with Microsoft Windows Server administration, Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, and DHCP.
• Proven experience architecting, deploying, and managing infrastructure in Microsoft Azure, including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS offerings. Familiarity with AWS services and concepts is a plus. Relevant Azure certifications (e.g., Azure Administrator Associate, Azure Solutions Architect Expert) are highly desirable.
• Solid understanding of networking principles, protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, BGP, OSPF), and network security concepts (firewalls, VPNs, intrusion detection/prevention, 802.1x port-based authentication). Experience with Cisco or similar enterprise-grade networking equipment is preferred.
• Experience with virtualization technologies (e.g., Hyper-V, VMware).
• Familiarity with scripting languages (e.g., PowerShell, Python) for automation tasks.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.  

Preferred:

• Knowledge of security best practices and compliance frameworks (e.g., ISO 27001, NIST CSF). Experience with security tools and technologies is a plus.
• Experience supporting laboratory environments or regulated industries (e.g., biotech, pharmaceuticals) is a significant advantage.
• Experience with international IT deployments and considerations is a plus.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

Physical Activities: On a continuous basis, sit at desk for a long period of time; intermittently answer telephone and write or use a keyboard to communicate through written means. Some walking and lifting up to 25 lbs. may be required. The noise level in the work environment is typically low to moderate. The physical demands described above are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and responsibilities.

Laboratory Activities (if applicable): Biology and chemical laboratory environment experience needed. Environmental health and safety requirements also apply.

Travel:

You may be required to travel for up to 5% of your time.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Crinetics is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and/or expression), pregnancy, race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, religion or similar philosophical beliefs, disability, marital and civil union status, age, genetic information, veteran status or any personal attribute or characteristic that is protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.

Total Compensation: 

The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to the type and length of experience and education. Crinetics Pharmaceuticals is a multi-state employer, and this salary range may not reflect positions that work in other states. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.

Salary Range

In addition to your base pay, our total rewards program consists of a discretionary annual target bonus, stock options, ESPP, and 401k match. We also provide top-notch health insurance plans for employees (and their families) to include medical, dental, vision and basic life insurance, 20 days of PTO, 10 paid holidays, and a winter company shutdown.