Director, IT Operations

Position Summary:

The Director, IT Operations is responsible for leading and coordinating the day-to-day operational functions of the Information Technology organization at Apellis. This role oversees the Support, Infrastructure, and Security teams, ensuring that all IT operational services are reliable, secure, and compliant.

Working closely with the Executive Director, Information Technology, the Director will translate IT strategy into operational plans and ensure effective delivery of technology services that enable business productivity and compliance. This role requires a balance of hands-on operational leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and team development across a global environment.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Lead and manage the IT Operations organization, including the Support, Infrastructure, and Security teams.
• Oversee daily IT operations to ensure high availability, reliability, and performance of systems and services.
• Drive excellence in IT Service Management (ITSM) through implementation and optimization of ITIL- based processes.
• Develop and monitor service level agreements (SLAs), key performance indicators (KPIs), and operational metrics across all IT domains.
• Ensure robust cybersecurity, data protection, and compliance controls in alignment with corporate policies and regulatory standards (e.g., SOX, NIST CSF, HIPAA, GDPR, FDA 21 CFR Part 11).
• Manage IT infrastructure lifecycle, including cloud platforms, networks, identity management, and endpoint systems.
• Oversee vendor relationships, contracts, and managed service provider (MSP) performance.
• Collaborate with IT leadership to develop and execute operational roadmaps and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead incident, change, and problem management processes to ensure timely resolution and minimal business disruption.
• Support internal and external audits, risk assessments, and remediation activities.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and operational excellence within the IT team.

Education, Registration & Certification:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 8–10 years of progressive IT experience, with at least 3–5 years in a leadership or management role overseeing IT operations, infrastructure, or security.
• Experience working in a regulated industry (biotech, pharmaceutical, or life sciences) strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing IT operations in cloud-based and SaaS-driven environments.
• Certifications such as ITIL, CISSP, CISM, PMP, or cloud (AWS/Azure) preferred.

Experience:

• Strong understanding of ITIL principles, IT service delivery, and infrastructure management.
• Solid knowledge of information security frameworks and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Proven leadership and people management skills with the ability to coach and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across all levels of the organization.
• Highly organized, adaptable, and results-driven with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Exceptional vendor management skills, including experience overseeing managed service providers, negotiating contracts, and driving accountability for performance and value delivery.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Benefits and Perks:

Base salary for this role will consider multiple factors, including but not limited to, candidate qualifications, relevant expertise, specialized skills, and industry experience in complement-targeted therapies.

The targeted base salary range for this position is $187,200 - $280,700 per year. This range represents the base salary only and reflects Apellis' commitment to competitive compensation within the biopharmaceutical industry. The final salary offered may vary based on individual qualifications, business needs, and current market conditions.

Apellis offers a comprehensive benefits package, including a 401(k) plan with company match, inclusive family building benefits, flexible time off, summer and winter shutdowns, paid family leave, disability and life insurance, and more! Visit https://apellis.com/careers/benefits/ to learn more.

Company Background:

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company that combines courageous science and compassion to develop life-changing therapies for some of the most challenging diseases patients face. We ushered in the first new class of complement medicine in 15 years and now have two approved medicines targeting C3. These include the first and only therapy for geographic atrophy, a leading cause of blindness around the world. With nearly a dozen clinical and pre-clinical programs underway, we believe we have only begun to unlock the potential of targeting C3 across many serious diseases.

For more information, please visit http://apellis.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn

EEO Statement:

Apellis is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state and local fair employment practices laws. Apellis strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy), gender (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender or transsexual individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, marital status, AIDS/HIV status, smoker/nonsmoker, and occupational pneumoconiosis or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

For San Francisco postings: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.  

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.