Lead IT Engineer

Location

• Austin, TX or Sunnyvale, CA. Full-time onsite position.
• Reports To : SVP of Engineering
• FLSA Status : Exempt

Position Overview

Key Responsibilities

• Private Cloud & Engineering Compute
• Install, configure, and maintain on-premises Linux servers and clusters supporting EDA/CAD tools, simulation, and performance modeling.
• Operate shared storage, tiering, snapshots, and backup, with restore procedures that are durable and scalable.
• Manage batch scheduling and resource sharing, floating license servers, and queue capacity planning.
• Apply configuration management and infrastructure-as-code practices. Own patch and lifecycle cadence for Linux instances.
• Forecast compute, storage, and license demand ahead of program milestones.
• Identity and Developer Platform
• Own SSO and identity provider administration in Okta, application onboarding via SAML, SCIM provisioning, group and role design, and MFA policy.
• Administer GitHub Enterprise. Own configuration and data governance for Google Workspace and Drive, Dropbox, and Atlassian, including sharing controls, retention, and external-collaborator policy.
• Administer engineering and AI tooling, own license inventory, utilization tracking, and renewals.
• Public Cloud
• Administer cloud storage and compute, including account and project structure, IAM, networking, and machine images.
• Own cloud cost visibility, spend control, and report spend.
• Manage hybrid connectivity between both sites and cloud environments.
• Network Architecture & Operations
• Own wired and wireless network design at both sites: switching, VLAN, firewalls, VPN, and remote access.
• Manage ISPs, circuit provisioning, and networking for new space and site build-outs. The MSP handles monitoring and first-line response; you own the design and the escalations.
• Managed Service Provider Governance & Insourcing
• Serve as the single accountable owner of the MSP relationship: scope, SLAs, escalation paths, quarterly reviews, and cost.
• Audit MSP-delivered outcomes, verify offboarding completeness, patch coverage, backup restores, and endpoint compliance on a defined cadence.
• Own the insourcing roadmap: recommend which functions move in-house and when.
• Keep the company transition-ready throughout. All tenants, administrative credentials, tooling contracts, configuration, and documentation are held in Neurophos' name and systems.
• As functions are insourced, help define, recruit for, and mentor the internal IT roles that absorb them.
• Endpoint Management
• Own the full endpoint fleet across Mac, Windows, and Linux with responsibility for standards, imaging, deployment, configuration, patching, and refresh.
• Administer mobile device management, including configuration profiles, application deployment, operating system update enforcement, and compliance reporting.
• Build and maintain standard machine images and software bundles, including engineering workstation builds carrying EDA and design tooling.
• Own endpoint procurement, asset tracking, warranty and spares strategy at both sites, and secure disposal or wipe at end of life.
• Provide escalation-tier support for endpoint issues the provider's help desk cannot resolve, particularly on Linux and engineering-tool configurations.
• Multi-Site Operations & Program Support
• Serve as the IT owner for both Sunnyvale and Austin, administering the remote site directly and using local smart-hands support where physical presence is required.
• Supply infrastructure evidence for security and customer compliance efforts: asset inventory, logging, access reviews, and configuration baselines.
• Implement access controls consistent with export control and customer data protection obligations, in coordination with the Lead Security Engineer and General Counsel.
• Own conference room audio/visual and video conferencing standards for a two-site engineering team.

Working Relationships

Qualifications

• 8+ years in IT engineering, systems administration, or infrastructure operations, including experience as the primary IT owner at a company under 200 people.
• Strong hands-on Linux system administration: installation, storage, networking, package and configuration management, and troubleshooting below the application layer.
• Demonstrated ownership of SSO/IdP administration (Okta strongly preferred), including SCIM-based provisioning and verified deprovisioning.
• Practical network engineering ability: switching, VLANs, enterprise Wi-Fi, firewall policy, VPN, and DNS/DHCP — able to design a site network and then physically stand it up.
• Hands-on administration of a mixed macOS and Windows fleet, including imaging, patching, encryption, and compliance enforcement at scale.
• Working proficiency with at least one major public cloud, ideally Azure, including IAM, networking, storage, and cost management.
• Demonstrated success managing an MSP or outsourced IT function, including holding a provider to scope and SLA. Experience transitioning outsourced IT or security operations in-house is a significant advantage.
• Interest in growing into ownership of the IT function, including hiring and developing a small team.
• Scripting and automation fluency and comfort treating infrastructure as code.
• Sound judgment about what to automate, what to buy, and what to delegate to the provider. Communication skills to explain those trade-offs to engineering leadership.
• Willingness to travel between Sunnyvale and Austin as needed.

Preferred Skills

• Experience supporting semiconductor or hardware engineering organizations: EDA/CAD environments, license servers, large simulation farms, and lab/test networks.
• GitHub Enterprise administration and developer platform operations.
• Experience building IT operations from near-zero, including a second-site office or lab build-out.
• Experience standing up an internal help desk, MDM, or endpoint program that replaced an external provider.
• Familiarity with SOC 2, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, or ISO 27001 control evidence from the infrastructure side.
• Experience with high-performance networking (RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE), InfiniBand) or rack-scale hardware bring-up.

What We Offer

• This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in an innovative startup redefining the future of AI hardware. Work on game-changing technology at the intersection of photonics and AI as part of a collaborative, brilliant team. You’ll contribute to a platform that redefines computational performance and accelerates the future of artificial intelligence. Come help us bring this transformative technology to the world.

Benefits

• Join a team that invests in your future and your well-being. At Neurophos, we offer:
• 100% coverage of base health plan premiums for you and your dependents, plus HSA contributions.
• Unlimited PTO. No rigid vacation banks, just a focus on delivery.
• 401(k) matching and stock option opportunities to ensure our success is your success.
• Full suite of voluntary benefits, including Dental, Vision, Life, Hospital, Critical Illness, and Accident insurance.
• Personalized Benefits. Choose the plans that fit your life and take the cash back for those that don’t.