Mission

Cowboy Space is solving the global energy crisis by building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. We are tackling one of humanity’s most complex engineering challenges with a world-class team dedicated to delivering a revolutionary power platform. Cowboy Space is transforming how civilization powers, computes and connects - from orbit to Earth.

Background

Cowboy Space is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our modular, scalable satellites collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit to enable multiple integrated applications: transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit high-performance computing clusters (GPU/TPU), and providing secure, high bandwidth optical data transport.

Current energy and data systems rely on complex logistics and outdated infrastructure. Cowboy Space overcomes these challenges by enabling direct, on-demand, secure, and scalable energy distribution and data processing from space. This will revolutionize how we operate in orbit and on Earth, supporting the rapidly expanding space industrial base, ISAM (In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing) operations, remote regions, and military bases.

Baiju Bhatt founded Cowboy Space in 2024. Inspired by his father’s work with NASA Langley Research Center, Baiju earned his B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mathematics at Stanford before co-founding Robinhood, now a public company that has helped over 20 million Americans access the financial system. Aetherflux has raised $90 million from Index Ventures, Interlagos, Construct Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and others.

This is an ambitious mission that demands extraordinary talent. Cowboy Space’s team has worked at places like SpaceX, Astranis, NASA, Anduril, and the U.S. Navy, and is based in San Carlos, CA. If you're ready to solve complex technical challenges and help build the most important energy company in the world, we want to hear from you.

Overview

The Head of IT will define and execute the company’s IT strategy across corporate systems, engineering infrastructure, mission operations support, cybersecurity, and compliance. This leader will ensure our IT architecture supports secure satellite development, ground segment operations, regulatory requirements, and rapid global scaling. This is a highly cross-functional leadership role, reporting to the COO/CLO but partnering with Engineering, Security, Finance, and People teams to build resilient, secure, and scalable systems in a highly regulated environment. This is both a strategic and hands-on leadership role in a rapidly scaling hardware company, and is in-person at our San Carlos, CA HQ.

Responsibilities

Define and execute the company-wide IT roadmap aligned with business and mission objectives
Build and lead a high-performing IT team (infrastructure, applications, support, security)
Develop IT governance, policies, and standards
Manage IT budget planning and vendor relationships
Design and operate secure and scalable hybrid infrastructure
Support high-performance compute environments for satellite design, simulation and testing
Ensure high availability for mission-critical systems and operations
Implement disaster recovery and business continuity planning
Own enterprise cybersecurity strategy across corporate, production, and mission environments
Implement zero-trust architecture and endpoint security
Ensure compliance with relevant frameworks (e.g. ITAR/EAR)
Lead incident response planning and execution
Oversee ERP, HRIS, collaboration, identity management, and productivity tools
Support scaling processes across Finance, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing
Drive automation and process optimization initiatives
Ensure secure data pipelines for satellite telemetry and payload data
Manage MSPs, cloud providers, and security vendors; negotiate enterprise contracts and SLAs
Serve as executive point-of-contact for IT-related audits and due diligence

Basic Qualifications

10+ years of progressive IT leadership experience
Experience scaling IT in a high-growth startup or technology company from early architecture to defense-level compliance
Deep expertise in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)
Strong background in cybersecurity and compliance
Experience supporting engineering organizations (DevOps, high-performance compute, secure SDLC)
Proven ability to build teams and operate strategically and tactically
Experience in defense or other regulated industries; familiarity with export controls (ITAR/EAR)

Preferred Qualifications

Experience preparing for or maintaining SOC 2 / ISO 27001 audits

Benefits

Equity in Cowboy Space
Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance; long-term disability and life insurance for employees
401(k) retirement savings plan
Paid time off
10 paid holidays per calendar year
Paid leave for new parents
Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

Disclaimer

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space’s discretion.

Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Cowboy Space Corporation

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