Principal Site Reliability Engineer

Roche seeks a Principal Site Reliability Engineer in Basel to lead technical operations for AI-driven drug discovery platforms, ensuring system reliability and strategic alignment within the Data and Digital Catalyst organization.

This position sits within the Technical Services and Operations group of Roche’s Data and Digital Catalyst organization. The primary objective is to modernize computational ecosystems and support scientists in drug discovery by leveraging data and artificial intelligence. The role focuses on providing robust technical support for systems that facilitate the training of large language models and the creation of autonomous agents, thereby accelerating research and development efforts.

Responsibilities

• Create and execute strategic plans that integrate managed services, on-premises operations, and cloud initiatives with AI capabilities.
• Oversee vendor partnerships, handle contract negotiations, and guarantee compliance with service level agreements.
• Utilize software engineering practices to build and maintain highly reliable production systems, balancing speed of release with stability.
• Define service level indicators, objectives, and error budgets to drive continuous operational improvement.
• Maintain strict adherence to security protocols and regulatory standards while proactively mitigating risks to critical data and systems.
• Lead user onboarding, training, and support initiatives to improve system usability and promote the adoption of AI/ML tools.
• Cultivate a collaborative and high-performing team environment through mentorship, standardization, and alignment with the company’s core values.

Requirements

• A PhD in Computer Science with 2-7 years of experience, a Master’s degree with 5-10 years, or a Bachelor’s degree with 7-12 years.
• At least five years of experience leading technical operations in both on-premises and cloud environments within medium to large organizations.
• Extensive knowledge of on-premises infrastructure, cloud ecosystems (particularly Kubernetes-based AWS), and AI/ML systems.
• Demonstrated ability to reduce technical debt, consolidate platforms, and decommission legacy solutions.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the capacity to engage stakeholders and navigate complex organizational structures.
• Commitment to staying current with emerging technologies and industry best practices to inform technical decisions.

Nice to have

• Proven track record of mentoring diverse teams while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning.

About the company

Roche is dedicated to preventing, stopping, and curing diseases while ensuring global access to healthcare for current and future generations. The company values impact, collaboration, diversity, scientific excellence, and curiosity. Employees are empowered to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and maintain high ambitions to deliver life-changing healthcare solutions in an environment that encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections.

• The culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections where employees are valued, accepted, and respected.
• The mission is to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come.
• The company values impact, collaboration, diversity, scientific excellence, and curiosity (gCS values).
• Roche empowers employees to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep ambitions high to deliver life-changing healthcare solutions.