Senior IT/AV Engineer, End User Support, Central Tech in United State

Across our work in Science, Education, and within our communities, we pair technology with grant making, impact investing, and collaboration to help accelerate the pace of progress toward our mission. Our Operations organization provides the support needed to push this work forward. 

Operations consists of our Brand & Communications, Central Tech, Finance, People, Real Estate/Workplace/Events/Facilities/Security (REWFS), Strategy & Operations, and Ventures teams. These teams provide the essential operations, services, and strategies needed to support CZI’s progress toward achieving its mission to build a better future for everyone.

Our Central Tech team provides technology and security support for CZI and our grantees. We believe that Engineering, IT and Security are most effective when in sync and learning from each other on a daily basis.  Across our three pillars of Infrastructure, Security, and Grantee & Partner Support, we enable our teams to achieve their goals faster and more securely. We leverage technology to automate manual processes, constantly innovate to optimize operations, provide first-class support, and build solutions to enable the scale and execution of our business partners' strategies and initiatives.

We are seeking a highly skilled and independent Senior IT/AV Engineer to be the onsite technology lead for our Chicago Biohub. As the local representative of CZI’s Central Technology team, you will support scientists, researchers, and staff working in a life sciences laboratory environment, ensuring they have reliable and secure IT systems to enable their work.

In this role, you will provide hands-on troubleshooting, manage AV systems, and coordinate with central teams in Redwood City for networking, accounts, and equipment requests. You will also serve as a solutions partner, mapping local needs to existing technologies and contributing to the design of new solutions for scientific use cases. This position is ideal for someone with expert troubleshooting skills, strong networking knowledge, and experience supporting research environments. Familiarity with high-performance computing (HPC) and AI systems is highly valued.

• Provide Onsite IT and AV Support: Serve as the primary IT presence at the Chicago Biohub, working onsite 5 days a week to deliver expert, in-person support for all hardware, software, and AV systems. This includes providing after-hours support for critical issues and traveling up to 5 times per year to other CZI locations.
• Manage IT Infrastructure and Security: Implement and maintain local IT infrastructure, including network and security practices, ensuring all systems are reliable and compliant with corporate standards.
• Support Scientific and Research Computing: Partner with scientists to apply IT solutions to lab workflows and specialized use cases, including HPC and AI computing, ensuring data security and reliability.
• Collaborate with Central Technology: Act as the local point of contact, coordinating with central IT teams on everything from provisioning and onboarding to advanced technical support and mentorship.
• Strengthen Local and External Partnerships: Build and maintain strong relationships with on-site operations, lab management, and external vendors to ensure seamless IT and building-related activities.
• Maintain Operational Excellence: Uphold documentation standards for all local systems and provide after-hours support for critical issues as needed.

• 5–7 years of IT support experience in a life sciences or laboratory environment.
• Proven ability to operate as the sole or primary onsite IT presence, independently managing service delivery.
• Expert troubleshooting skills across macOS, Windows, Linux, and AV systems.
• Strong networking knowledge, including LAN, Wi-Fi, VPN, and firewall troubleshooting.
• Experience supporting collaboration tools such as Google Workspace, Zoom, and Slack.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills, with the ability to partner effectively with scientists and non-technical staff.
• Familiarity with HPC and AI computing environments strongly preferred.
• Ability to document processes clearly and mentor colleagues across distributed teams.
• Relevant certifications (CompTIA, Microsoft, Cisco, etc.) preferred.

The Chicago, IL base pay range for a new hire in this role is $138,000.00 - $172,000.00. New hires are typically hired into the lower portion of the range, enabling employee growth in the range over time. Actual placement in range is based on job-related skills and experience, as evaluated throughout the interview process.

As we grow, we’re excited to strengthen in-person connections and cultivate a collaborative, team-oriented environment. This role is a hybrid position requiring you to be onsite for at least 60% of the working month, approximately 3 days a week, with specific in-office days determined by the team’s manager. The exact schedule will be at the hiring manager's discretion and communicated during the interview process.

We’re thankful to have an incredible team behind our work. To honor their commitment, we offer a wide range of benefits to support the people who make all we do possible. 

• Provides a generous employer match on employee 401(k) contributions to support planning for the future.
• Paid time off to volunteer at an organization of your choice. 
• Funding for select family-forming benefits. 
• Relocation support for employees who need assistance moving

If you’re interested in a role but your previous experience doesn’t perfectly align with each qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply as you may be the perfect fit for this or another role.