Head of IT

Future Secure AI • Full-time • Austin, Texas Metropolitan Area, US • 2w ago

About the Role

We are a global AI company headquartered in Austin with 350 global FTE increasing to ~700 over the next 3-6 months, transitioning our IT function from an outsourced managed service to an in-house capability. We’re looking for a Head of IT to own, build, and scale our internal IT function — ensuring our people are productive, secure, and supported wherever they work.

This role is intentionally hands-on to begin with. You’ll personally take ownership of core IT operations and support during the transition period, while designing the structure, processes, and roadmap to build a small, high-performing IT team over the next 6–9 months.

Key Responsibilities

IT Strategy & Leadership

Own the company’s end-to-end IT function, transitioning services from an outsourced provider to an internal model
Act as a hands-on leader, directly managing IT operations and support in the initial phase
Define and execute an internal IT roadmap aligned with business growth, security, and compliance needs
Plan, hire, and build a small internal IT team over the next 6–9 months to help transition from outsourced IT management to in-house
Serve as the senior escalation point for IT issues and decision-making

End-User IT & Support

Personally oversee — and initially execute — onboarding and offboarding of staff, including laptops, software, and access provisioning
Establish and run a staff IT helpdesk / helpline with clear SLAs and excellent user experience
Ensure employees have the right tools, licenses, and subscriptions to do their jobs effectively
Manage the full hardware lifecycle (procurement, asset tracking, replacements, repairs)
Hands on experience with MS O365, i.e. the MS Office Productivity Suite and Teams & SharePoint

Cloud, Network & Security

Own the security, reliability, and compliance of our cloud-based IT environment
Own endpoint Zero Trust rollout and operations (client deployment, device compliance/posture, access policy enforcement, remediation/support)
Collaborate closely with Platform Engineering, Security, and Risk to align ownership boundaries, standards, and audit requirements
Manage identity and access management, ensuring the right access for the right people
Implement and maintain security best practices (endpoint security, patching, backups, incident response)
Lead audits, certifications, and compliance requirements as applicable (e.g. SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR etc)

Vendor & Cost Management

Manage relationships with IT vendors, SaaS providers, and any remaining managed services during the transition
Optimize IT spend across software licenses, subscriptions, and hardware
Negotiate contracts and ensure value for money without compromising security or reliability, including with internal LLM providers
Lead the end-to-end vendor due diligence process to ensure standards for security, resilience and performance are met

Process & Documentation

Establish clear IT policies, processes, and documentation from the ground up
Ensure systems and procedures are scalable, repeatable, and auditable
Drive continuous improvement in IT service delivery and employee experience

What We’re Looking For

Required Experience

Proven experience leading IT operations in a growing company (tech, SaaS, or global organization preferred)
Demonstrated ability to roll up sleeves and deliver hands-on IT support when needed
Experience building or scaling small IT teams
Strong background in end-user IT, cloud environments, and security best practices
Experience transitioning from outsourced IT to an in-house model (or building IT from scratch)
Hands-on experience with:
Cloud platforms (e.g. AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
Identity and access management
Device and endpoint management (MDM)
SaaS license and vendor management
Experience supporting distributed or remote teams across multiple regions

Nice to Have