Senior System Administrator - Genomics

Senior System Administrator - Genomics About BigRio BigRio is a Boston-based, remote-first technology consulting firm specializing in AI/ML, data engineering, cloud transformation, genomics platforms, and custom software development. We partner with healthcare, life sciences, biotech, and enterprise organizations to design scalable, secure, and high-performance technology platforms that drive innovation and business growth. At BigRio, we believe strong infrastructure is the backbone of successful digital transformation. We are seeking a Senior System Administrator who is passionate about building resilient, secure, and scalable cloud environments that support mission-critical systems, genomics workloads, and high-impact client engagements. Role Summary - The Senior System Administrator will play a key role in designing, implementing, and maintaining modern cloud infrastructure environments, primarily within Azure and Linux ecosystems. - This role requires strong technical expertise, a continuous improvement mindset, and the ability to collaborate effectively across engineering, DevOps, bioinformatics, and client stakeholders. - The ideal candidate thrives in fast-paced environments, balances best practices with pragmatism, and is excited to help build infrastructure that supports AI-driven, genomics, and data-intensive platforms. Qualifications Education - Bachelor's degree preferred. Experience & Skills - 5+ years of experience as a System Administrator with a focus on Azure and Linux environments - Strong understanding of modern infrastructure and cloud best practices - Proven expertise managing Azure services and resources - Experience with Epic Aura or similar healthcare platforms preferred - Experience supporting genomics, bioinformatics, or life sciences environments preferred - Experience working with Illumina sequencing platforms, Illumina Connected Analytics, Illumina BaseSpace, genomics pipelines, or related genomics infrastructure strongly preferred - Familiarity with genomic data workflows, sequencing data storage, and high-throughput data processing environments - Strong Linux administration skills including shell scripting and system optimization - Experience working with HPC environments and distributed computing clusters - Proficiency in automation and scripting (Python, Bash, PowerShell) - Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible, or similar) - Experience supporting large-scale storage systems and data-intensive workloads - Experience collaborating with engineering, infrastructure, bioinformatics, and leadership teams - Strong communication and documentation skills - Self-motivated with attention to detail and ownership mindset Key Responsibilities Cloud & Infrastructure Management - Design, deploy, and manage Azure resources ensuring availability, security, and performance - Monitor infrastructure with focus on cost optimization and resource efficiency - Implement and maintain backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity plans - Perform performance tuning and capacity planning to support scalability - Support infrastructure for genomics and bioinformatics workloads including large-scale sequencing data environments - Manage secure storage, transfer, and archival strategies for genomic datasets HPC & Systems Optimization - Manage and optimize HPC environments - Ensure efficient job scheduling and resource allocation - Support compute-intensive genomics and sequencing analysis pipelines - Maintain system health, patching, and compliance standards - Optimize storage and compute performance for high-throughput sequencing workloads Automation & DevOps - Develop automation scripts to improve operational efficiency - Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for scalable deployments - Support CI/CD workflows and cross-team deployments - Automate deployment and operational processes for genomics and bioinformatics applications Security & Compliance - Implement security best practices and system hardening - Maintain compliance across healthcare and life sciences environments - Support audits and documentation requirements - Ensure proper handling and protection of sensitive healthcare and genomic data Collaboration & Leadership - Work closely with cross-functional teams across engineering, bioinformatics, and client environments - Provide technical mentorship to junior team members - Research and recommend new technologies to improve infrastructure maturity - Partner with stakeholders to support scalable AI/ML and genomics platforms Preferred Experience - Experience with Illumina sequencing environments and associated infrastructure - Exposure to genomics pipelines such as BCL conversion, FASTQ processing, alignment, and variant analysis workflows - Familiarity with tools and workflows used in bioinformatics environments - Experience supporting HIPAA-compliant or regulated healthcare/life sciences environments Work Environment - Remote-first environment - Primarily sedentary (desk-based work) - Regular use of computer systems and communication tools