Founding Lead IT Engineer

Equity: 0.3% – 1% depending on experience

About Us

We're a stealth team building space hardware at the edge of what's currently possible — high-stakes, flight-grade systems where the engineering bar is unforgiving and the upside is enormous. While we can't share full details yet, our founding and early engineering team includes talent from SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, and Impulse Space, the group includes people who've pulled off feats almost no one else on Earth has.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Lead IT Engineer to own our IT and security infrastructure from first principles — the identities, devices, networks, and cloud systems our engineers rely on every day, built to protect export-controlled and defense data and to meet CMMC 2.0 Level 2 requirements.

This is a senior technical leadership role. You will not only define and execute the IT and security architecture, but also help build the IT and security function, set technical standards, mentor engineers, and establish the systems, processes, and culture required to run a secure, compliant aerospace company.

This is not a narrow help-desk role. You will own the full stack: identity and access, endpoints, networks, cloud tenants and SaaS, the engineering environment (CAD/PLM, simulation compute, source control, lab and test networks), and the security program and evidence that prove it all meets NIST SP 800-171, DFARS, CMMC, and ITAR requirements. You will partner closely with engineering, operations, and leadership on how controlled technical data flows through the company, and make tradeoffs across security, usability, cost, and speed.

The ideal candidate has direct experience building IT and security programs for defense or aerospace companies, implementing NIST SP 800-171, administering secure cloud environments, and leading technical teams. We recognize that very few people have all of this. What matters most is that you have exceptional fundamentals, have built real IT environments from the ground up, have managed or mentored engineers in high-performance technical environments, and can operate independently in ambiguity while making sound engineering tradeoffs. You will have direct ownership over one of the company's core technical challenges.

Key Responsibilities

Own the IT and security architecture, from initial build-out through compliance readiness, assessment, and continuous monitoring as the company scales.

Lead the CMMC 2.0 Level 2 program: scoping, gap assessment against the 110 requirements of NIST SP 800-171, the System Security Plan, POA&Ms, the SPRS score and annual affirmations, and readiness for a C3PAO or DIBCAC assessment whenever customers or contracts require one.

Define the CUI and export-controlled data boundary: data flow mapping, enclave versus whole-enterprise scoping, and asset inventory and categorization.

Architect and operate a compliant cloud environment (e.g., Microsoft 365 GCC High and Azure Government, or FedRAMP Moderate–equivalent services) for email, files, collaboration, and engineering data.

Meet DFARS cybersecurity obligations (e.g., 252.204-7012, -7019, -7020, -7021): safeguarding covered defense information, 72-hour cyber incident reporting, media preservation, and flowdown to subcontractors.

Own identity and access management: SSO, phishing-resistant MFA, least privilege, privileged access, joiner-mover-leaver processes, and U.S.-person access controls for ITAR technical data.

Own endpoint management and hardening across Windows, macOS, and Linux: MDM, secure baselines (e.g., CIS, DISA STIGs), patching, EDR, and FIPS-validated encryption.

Design and run corporate, lab, and manufacturing networks: segmentation, firewalls, zero-trust remote access, wireless, and isolation for test equipment, flatsats, and operational technology.

Build security operations: centralized logging and SIEM, audit log review, vulnerability management, monitoring and alerting, and an incident response plan that is exercised, not just written.

Support the engineering toolchain in compliant configurations: CAD/PLM, simulation and HPC compute, source control and CI infrastructure, and license servers.