(Associate) Director, Cloud Services & Cybersecurity Operations

Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: CNTA) new kind of pharmaceutical company with a deconstructed R&D environment that prioritizes data driven decision making led by subject matter experts. Centessa is advancing a portfolio of high conviction programs with strong biological validation.

Our asset-centric model offers a unique R&D logic that has been applied by single asset companies to improve productivity. This operating model has minimal centralized infrastructure, reduced hierarchy, and exclusive focus on data driven capital allocation. Our teams are uniquely incentivized to expeditiously interrogate key scientific hypotheses. We believe the asset-centric model can lead to improved success rates for programs with greater speed and modest costs.

 

Description of Role

The (Associate) Director, Cloud Services & Cybersecurity Operations is accountable for operational leadership and performance across IT service management, cloud platform operations, cybersecurity operations, and core governance controls. Reporting to the Vice President, Information Technology, this role leads service delivery in a hybrid/outsourced model by setting standards, governing vendors against SLAs and outcomes, serving as the primary escalation point for major incidents and complex technical issues, and driving measurable improvements in reliability, security, compliance, and end-user experience.

Scope of responsibilities will align to title Associate Director or Director. At the Director level, accountability expands across strategy execution, budget/operating plan ownership, and executive stakeholder governance. 

Key Responsibilities

Service Management & Vendor Oversight 

• Own managed service provider/vendor governance, including SLAs, operating cadence, and quarterly business reviews; hold partners accountable for outcomes and user experience. 

• Lead ITIL-aligned ITSM execution, including major incident leadership, stakeholder communications, and post-incident reviews with tracked follow-through. 

• Drive continual service improvement using ServiceNow-enabled metrics and reporting, emphasizing root-cause elimination and reduction of repeat issues. 

• Strengthen service desk enablement to improve consistency and reduce friction for end users. 

• Maintain service-operational hygiene to support troubleshooting, change impact assessment, and audit readiness. 

Cloud & Infrastructure Operations 

• Own day-to-day operations for the cloud-first stack (Microsoft 365, Azure, identity, endpoints, and core infrastructure/digital platforms). 

• Define and maintain operational standards, runbooks, and monitoring to ensure repeatable delivery across the outsourced model. 

• Oversee backups, disaster recovery, and business continuity readiness, including periodic testing, documentation, and remediation of gaps. 

• Operationalize secure deployment and configuration of AI-enabled features within core platforms (e.g., Microsoft 365). 

Cybersecurity Operations & Execution 

• Execute and mature cybersecurity operations aligned to the IT and cybersecurity roadmaps and GRC objectives. 

• Own security operations oversight through internal leadership and vendor coordination. 

• Serve as the operational lead for incident response, coordinating internal stakeholders, vendors, and Legal as needed. 

IT Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) 

• Operationalize governance and risk management practices aligned to NIST principles using a risk-based approach and evidence-driven control execution. 

• Support GxP, SOX, GDPR, and corporate compliance requirements through effective control execution, oversight, and timely remediation of findings (audits, assessments, vendor reviews, penetration tests). 

• Drive responsible AI adoption through practical user guidance, communications, and role-based awareness. 

Leadership & Collaboration 

• Provide clear operational reporting to senior management across service, security, and delivery performance. 
• Partner with business stakeholders to enable technology adoption and improve end‑user experience. 

• Manage and mentor internal and external resources; ensure clear accountability, prioritization, and consistent delivery. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a similar technical field is required.
• 8-10+ years of progressive experience across IT service management, cloud operation