[Senior] System Administrator – Software & Hardware (Part-time / Contract)

Overview

InterAx Biotech is among the leading GPCR drug discovery teams in industry.

Our in-house expertise includes atomic, molecular, cellular and organism levels, as well as all key stages of drug discovery and early drug development. We leverage unique mathematical models of cell signaling; leading expertise in real-time experimental cellular assays; deep understanding of GPCR drug pharmacology; state-of-the-art suite of computational chemistry and machine learning / AI tools, and exceptional medicinal chemistry and drug development expertise.

We are currently expanding InterAx team in Zurich–Basel area of Switzerland and are seeking for an experienced Senior System Administrator to manage and optimize both cloud and on-premises IT infrastructures. The ideal candidate has a strong background in system administration, networking, virtualization, and IT security, with expertise in both software and hardware solutions. You will work closely with our scientific computing teams to ensure high availability, performance, and security of our systems.

Please note: Due to Swiss regulations, we only consider Swiss, EU/EFTA applicants or applicants with a valid work permit.

Key responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive IT support for researchers and staff across the organization, troubleshooting both software and hardware issues.
• Administration and support of cloud infrastructure – including virtual machines, containers, infrastructure as code, CI/CD pipelines, identity and access management (IAM), and network configurations – alongside with scientific application workloads across a range of cloud platforms (Google Cloud, Amazon AWS, MS Azure).
• Management of on-premises servers – data storage, computational workflows, virtualization (VMware, Hyper-V), Active Directory.
• Support deployment and maintenance of specialized scientific software and workflows used in molecular modeling, computational biology, cheminformatics and data analytics (e.g., GROMACS, KNIME, RDKit, Matlab, Python-based workflows, Ray, parallel computing, MLOps).
• Configuration, troubleshooting, and support of network infrastructure (including Cisco routers, switches, VPNs, firewalls, secure remote access).
• Oversee installation, configuration, and updates of operating systems (Linux, Windows, macOS), applications, and drivers.
• Troubleshooting of software and hardware issues of experimental instruments in biology lab (e.g. PHERAstar, FLIPR).
• Write and optimize scripts to automate routine tasks.
• Ensure system security, data integrity, regular backups, implementing access controls and cybersecurity best practices.
• Monitor system performance and uptime, responding proactively to potential issues.
• Document IT procedures, system configurations, and troubleshooting protocols for internal knowledge sharing.
• Assist with the technical onboarding of new employees, ensuring they have the necessary tools and access.
• Collaborate with research teams to understand and anticipate IT needs in support of ongoing research projects.

Education and qualifications

• M.Sc. in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering or a related discipline
• 5+ years of experience in the systems administration, including Linux, macOS and Windows
• Proficiency in managing cloud platforms and hybrid infrastructure setups
• Clear understanding of Infrastructure as Code and Immutable Infrastructure
• Familiarity with scientific computing tools (Python, R, Jupyter, Docker, conda environments)
• Scripting skills for automation (PowerShell, Bash, Python)
• Knowledge of virtualization technologies (VMware ESXi, VCenter, Hyper-V)
• Experience with cybersecurity best practices
• Expertise in Active Directory / Exchange
• Strong problem-solving abilities and adaptability
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work with non-technical users
• Fluency in English, German is a plus

Nice to have:

• Experience working in a start-up environment, or pharma/biotech industry

Please send your CV and motivation letter to recruiting [at] interaxbiotech.com, adding “ID-2025-031” to the subject of your email.