Systems & Security Engineer

Location: Remote, with occasional presence at our state-of-the-art labs in Bristol, UK.

While the role is primarily remote, we expect on-site visits approximately once every couple of weeks to support infrastructure maintenance, laptop setups, and other ad hoc technical needs.

Start Date: Estimated December 2025.

Eligibility: Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this role. GenomeKey is not able to offer visa sponsorship.

Who We Are

GenomeKey is a Bristol based biotech startup developing a next-generation diagnostic device for bloodstream infections, using machine learning and DNA sequencing.

Within GenomeKey we provide an encouraging environment where knowledge is shared and professional development is supported across both technical and non-technical skillsets.

Join GenomeKey to help build a world where nobody dies from a treatable infection.

Key Responsibilities

We are looking for a proactive and dependable individual who thrives in a collaborative environment. You’ll bring a strong sense of ownership, balancing robust, practical security practices with the agility needed in a growing organisation. Adaptability, curiosity, and a problem-solving mindset are key, alongside resilience when handling unexpected challenges. You will be approachable, communicative, and committed to embedding a culture of security and reliability across the company.

Responsibilities

As an integral part of our team, you will work towards maintaining, developing and improving GenomeKey’s security, infrastructure and monitoring posture. Your responsibilities will include:

• Enhance and maintain internal security and infrastructure tooling (e.g., hardening, patching, monitoring, automation).
• Manage both cloud and physical infrastructure (AWS/Azure/GCP, on‑prem servers, network devices).
• Monitor, detect, respond to, and escalate security incidents.
• Advocate for and document security best practices, ensuring systems are configured and managed securely.
• Provision, maintain, and audit enterprise infrastructure (access controls, backups, configuration management).
• Develop and run internal tooling (e.g., auditing scripts, alert dashboards).
• Partake in incident post‑mortems and contribute to continuous improvement.
• Support internal awareness of good security practices across teams.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Operations teams on secure design and infrastructure scalability.
  
  

Qualifications & Experience

We are open to varied backgrounds for this role but are looking for candidates who bring most of the following essential, along with some desirable, skills and experiences:

Essential

• Degree in Computer Science, Cyber‑Security, Information Technology, or equivalent; or backed by solid professional experience.
• Proven experience as a Systems Administrator, Security Engineer, or similar, ideally in cloud-native environments.
• Hands on experience managing cloud services (AWS, Azure, or GCP), on‑prem systems, networks, and virtualisation.
• Solid knowledge of security fundamentals: firewalls, VPNs, vulnerability scanning, logging/monitoring, incident response, and patch management.
• Familiarity with compliance standards relevant to biotech or regulated industries (e.g., GDPR, data protection).
• Demonstrable scripting/automation skills (e.g., Python, Bash, or PowerShell) for tooling infrastructure.
• Excellent troubleshooting and analytical skills, able to lead root‑cause investigations.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with a readiness to embed security across the organisation.
  
  

Desirable

• Certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CompTIA Security+, or AWS/Azure/GCP Security certifications.
• Experience with security monitoring tools (e.g., SIEM platforms like CrowdStrike, Wazuh, or similar).
• Knowledge of containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes) and securing CI/CD pipelines.
• Prior experience working in a startup or fast‑paced tech environment.
• Experience writing or maintaining security policies, training materials, or compliance documentation.
• Experience with ISO 27001, operating within a QMS, or similar regulatory frameworks.
  
  

We recognise that not every candidate will meet every listed qualification. If you’re excited about this role and believe your background or transferable skills could make you a strong match, we encourage you to apply.

Our Hiring Process

• Intro call with hiring manager (15 minutes)
• Take-home task
• Role-fit interview (45 minutes)
• Final stage (45 minutes)
  
  

GenomeKey is an equal opportunities employer. If you require any accommodations during the recruitment process, please let us know.