Head of IT

Freeform • Los Angeles, CA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Freeform is hiring a Head of IT to own the technology infrastructure behind its AI-native manufacturing systems, including factory data centers and cloud platforms, networks and security, and corporate IT. Reporting directly to the CEO, this leader will set IT strategy and be accountable to the executive team for uptime, security, and compliance. The immediate priority is building the infrastructure and dedicated data center for a new manufacturing facility, establishing a repeatable blueprint for future factories. Systems that capture, store, and protect the petabytes of data generated by Freeform’s factories are a core part of the product.

Leadership roles at Freeform are technical. The Head of IT will remain hands-on, spending significant time making architecture decisions, reviewing designs, and building and troubleshooting alongside the team. The role also leads and mentors the IT organization and plans its growth as the company scales.

The role is based at Freeform’s vertically integrated Hawthorne facility, where technology development, R&D, and production share one roof. It requires full-time onsite presence five days a week, with very limited exceptions.

Requirements

• 12+ years of enterprise IT and infrastructure experience, including 2+ years leading IT or infrastructure teams, with current hands-on technical skills.
• Data center infrastructure experience across compute, storage, and networking.
• Strong knowledge of on-premises and cloud infrastructure.
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, on-premises and in the cloud.
• Deep expertise in Linux-based infrastructure.
• Track record of owning an IT budget, setting strategy, managing vendors, and reporting to senior executives.

Nice To Haves

• Experience as the first IT leader at a startup or high-growth company, building the function from a small team.
• Experience building or commissioning a data center, including edge computing for hardware-centric or manufacturing operations.
• Experience with OT/ICS environments and securing factory networks.
• Experience with high-speed data and high-bandwidth interconnects such as InfiniBand.
• Experience leading an organization through NIST 800-171, CMMC, or ITAR compliance.
• Knowledge of both corporate and engineering IT, including Microsoft and Linux-based technologies.
• Degree in computer science or computer engineering.

Responsibilities

• Set the IT and infrastructure strategy and roadmap in line with factory expansion, and present it to the executive team.
• Architect, build, and commission the infrastructure and dedicated data center for the new facility, including power, cooling, compute, storage, network, and factory-floor edge computing, as a repeatable blueprint for future factories.
• Own storage and compute for petabyte-scale physics and process data, including high-bandwidth interconnects.
• Own Kubernetes and virtualization platforms, both on-premises and in the cloud.
• Own network architecture across sites, including segmentation between corporate, server, OT, and guest zones.
• Build and run the security program, including controls, monitoring, incident response, audits, and vulnerability management.
• Own compliance with NIST 800-171, CMMC, and ITAR, and serve as the accountability point for IT-related audits and customer security reviews.
• Ensure high availability, disaster recovery, and business continuity for systems that drive production.
• Run corporate IT alongside engineering infrastructure, including identity and access, endpoints, and collaboration tools.
• Own the IT budget and make build-versus-buy and on-premises-versus-cloud decisions to maintain cost efficiency as the company scales.
• Select and manage vendors, hardware suppliers, and cloud providers; set IT policies, standards, and change management.
• Report availability, risk, and security posture to executive leadership.
• Stay hands-on by reviewing designs, making architecture decisions, and building and troubleshooting alongside the team.
• Lead and mentor the IT team; plan, hire, and build the organization as Freeform scales, setting its priorities and a culture of ownership and continuous improvement.

Benefits

• Significant stock option packages.
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, with premium PPO and HMO options.
• Life insurance.
• Traditional and Roth 401(k).
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and company holidays.
• Generous paid parental leave and extended transition back to work for the birthing parent.
• Free daily catered lunch and dinner, and a fully stocked kitchenette.
• Casual dress, flexible work hours, and regular catered team-building events.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed