IT Operations Manager

We are a rapidly growing US-based space startup revolutionizing satellite imaging using advanced in-orbit capabilities. Specifically our expertise lies in leveraging in-space assets for Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Non-Earth Imaging (NEI). As an international company we navigate a unique landscape while delivering critical services to our clients. Having recently secured several significant contracts we are expanding our team to meet the exciting demands of our growth.

To support this next phase were building a high-performing interdisciplinary team capable of pushing the boundaries of space technology. Were looking for talented passionate people who value collaboration growth and learning to join us.

HEO is a post-Series A company backed by high-profile venture funds including Airtree Y Combinator and In-Q-Tel. We are headquartered in Sydney Australia with offices in London Tokyo and Washington D.C.

Role Overview

As HEO USAs first IT Operations Manager you will be the primary steward of our domestic technical environment. You will be responsible for establishing managing and scaling our US-based IT infrastructure ensuring our team has the tools and systems they need to operate securely and efficiently.

This is a high-impact foundational role. While your initial focus will be on IT governance vendor management and internal systems you will have the unique opportunity to evolve into a DevSecOps role as we scale our US cloud footprint and move toward formal CMMC certification.

Key Responsibilities

1. IT Infrastructure & Systems Management

• System Ownership: Act as the primary administrator for US-based internal systems including identity providers (Okta/Google Workspace) hardware fleets and productivity tools.
• Infrastructure Oversight: Manage the day-to-day health of our US IT environment ensuring high availability and seamless support for our local team.
• Onboarding & Support: Design and execute technical onboarding for new US hires including hardware procurement MDM (Mobile Device Management) enrolment and access provisioning.

2. Operational Governance & Security

• Policy Development: Establish IT standard operating procedures (SOPs) and internal security policies that align with our global standards while meeting US-specific requirements.
• IAM & Access Control: Enforce the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) across all US systems and lead regular access audits.
• Vendor Management: Manage relationships with US-based hardware and software vendors ensuring cost-effectiveness and compliance with procurement standards.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• 5 years in IT Operations Systems Administration or Technical Operations preferably within a high-growth startup or a defense/government contracting environment.
• Strong proficiency in managing SaaS environments MDM solutions (e.g. Jamf Kandji) and Identity Management (IAM).
• Foundational knowledge of AWS (VPC S3 EC2) with a desire to grow into a more architectural cloud role.
• A proven ability to build IT processes from scratch in a greenfield environment.
• Must be a US Person (Citizen or Green Card holder) due to the nature of CMMC/ITAR data requirements and potential access to Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

Preferred not required skills

• Previous exposure to AWS services and an interest in learning Infrastructure as Code (specifically Terraform or CloudFormation) to assist in domestic cloud migrations.
• Familiarity with or a desire to learn the technical and administrative control implementations for CMMC Level 2 or NIST 800-171.
• A baseline understanding of CI/CD pipelines (e.g. GitHub Actions or GitLab CI) and an interest in integrating automated security scanning as our US engineering presence scales.

Rewards & Benefits

We understand that a competitive offer extends beyond base salary. As a rapidly growing startup were committed to building a highly motivated team and believe in sharing our success. We offer a comprehensive total rewards package designed to attract and retain top talent:

• Competitive Base Salary: We offer a strong base salary commensurate with your experience and the significant impact youll have on our growth.
• Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP): As an early-stage employee youll receive a meaningful grant of employee stock options. This provides you with an ownership stake in our company and the opportunity to share directly in our future success. We believe in aligning your contributions with our collective growth offering substantial upside potential as we achieve our ambitious milestones.
• Company-sponsored 401(k): Matching contributions vested immediately.
• Comprehensive Healthcare: Your well-being is a priority. We provide a robust employer-sponsored healthcare plan to ensure you and your family have access to quality medical care.
• Generous Paid Time Off: We value work-life balance and offer annual Paid Time Off (PTO) plus additional dedicated sick days.
• Paid Federal Holidays: Enjoy all federal holidays throughout the year allowing you to recharge and spend time with loved ones.

What We Value:

Youll love being on our team if you are someone who:

• Thrives in an ambiguous semi-structured and dynamic environment.
• Upholds the highest level of integrity.
• Is proactive and takes initiative.
• Isnt afraid to pitch in where the team needs you most.
• Can be depended on to do what they say and uphold their end of the teamwork.
• Is innovative agile and flexible.
• Fully believe if youre not having fun doing what you do you are in the wrong place.

HEO USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race color religion sex (including pregnancy childbirth or related medical conditions sex stereotyping transgender status and gender identity) national origin age (40 or older) marital status sexual orientation disability genetic information military or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law.

As a federal contractor we are committed to affirmative action for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. We strive to create a diverse and inclusive workforce where all employees feel valued respected and have the opportunity to contribute to their fullest potential.

We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and for religious beliefs practices or observances unless doing so would cause undue hardship. If you require an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process please reach out.