IT Director

Company Overview:

Protara Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to advancing transformative therapies for people with cancer and rare diseases. Protara’s portfolio includes its lead candidate, TARA-002, an investigational cell-based therapy in development for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and lymphatic malformations (LMs). The Company is evaluating TARA-002 in an ongoing Phase 2 trial in NMIBC patients with carcinoma in situ (CIS) who are unresponsive or naïve to treatment with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), as well as a Phase 2 trial in pediatric patients with LMs. Additionally, Protara is developing IV Choline Chloride, an investigational phospholipid substrate replacement for patients on parenteral support who are otherwise unable to meet their choline needs via oral or enteral routes.

Job Overview:       

Seeking a hands-on IT Director with 8+ years of leadership experience to oversee IT operations, infrastructure, and security for our growing company. This role is crucial in ensuring the performance, reliability, and security of our IT systems while supporting business expansion and technological innovation.

The IT Director will play a key role in governance, decision-making, and long-term IT strategy to support the Company’s growth towards commercialization. This position requires a balance of technical expertise, leadership, and strategic planning to drive business success. The ideal candidate will also be responsible for managing the current IT-managed service provider (MSP) and other external vendor relationships and staying ahead of emerging technologies to keep the company competitive and future-ready.

**Please note this is not a remote role.  This person must be able to come into the NYC Office at least two or three times a week.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following (other duties may be assigned):

IT Strategy & Planning

• Play a key role in governance and IT decision-making, ensuring technology investments align with company objectives.
• Play a leadership role in the company’s cybersecurity program, assessing risk, defining mitigation plans, and leading day-to-day Cybersecurity monitoring and incident response activities.
• Develop and implement IT policies, procedures, and best practices to align with business growth.
• Develop plan for IT organization to support a commercial-stage company
• Prepare systems, processes and controls for a SOX 404b compliant company
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to assess IT needs and deliver scalable solutions.
• Research and recommend new technologies, tools, and strategies to drive the company’s growth and keep systems up to date.
• Maintain strong relationships with external vendors and service providers, negotiating contracts and ensuring optimal service delivery.

IT Infrastructure Management

• Oversee the design, deployment, and maintenance of IT infrastructure, including hardware, software, networks, and servers.
• Ensure optimal performance, scalability, and security of all IT systems to support manufacturing operations.
• Continuously monitor system health and troubleshoot technical issues.
• Coordinate IT support services, ensuring the efficient resolution of technical problems.

Security & Compliance

• Ensure IT systems and operations comply with best practices, applicable regulations, and industry standards (e.g., SOX, HIPAA, FDA regulations, GDPR).
• Implement and maintain cybersecurity measures to protect company data, intellectual property, and proprietary research.
• Oversee user access onboarding and offboarding processes and ensure appropriate access controls.
• Implement and/or manage existing data backups, incident response plans, disaster recovery plans, and business continuity strategies.

Project Management

• Lead IT projects, including system upgrades, migrations, and new technology implementations.
• Maintains comprehensive documentation related to server and network topology, equipment, applications, and configurations.
• Responsible for maintaining relevant IT documentation and regularly reviewing and enforcing the Company’s IT policies and procedures

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field

 Qualifications:

• At least 8 years in relevant IT role
• Experience with commercial-stage pharmaceutical company required
• Experience with public SOX compliant co