IT & Security Expert

Great Sky•Boulder, CO

1d•$150,000 - $180,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Great Sky is a technology startup focused on rebuilding AI from first principles using neuroscience-inspired hardware and algorithms. They are seeking a hands-on IT & Security Expert to establish and manage their technology infrastructure from the ground up. This is the first dedicated IT hire, offering the opportunity to shape processes and build systems for future growth. The role is an individual contributor position with potential for growth in scope and seniority. It is a full-time role based in Palo Alto, CA or Boulder, CO, with travel and some remote work flexibility.

Requirements

5-8 years of IT and security experience, with direct experience building from scratch at a small technical company.
Strong identity and access management experience: SSO, MFA, role-based access, directory services.
Secure networking experience: VPN, zero-trust, identity-gated SSH, device management, endpoint security.
Cloud security across at least one major provider (AWS, GCP, or Azure): IAM, network segmentation, controlled ingress/egress.
Fluent across macOS, Linux, and Windows.
Infrastructure-as-code mindset.
Scripting and automation depth (Python, Bash, Terraform, or similar).
Experience working directly with engineering, operations, and leadership to understand business needs and translate them into reliable, usable, documented systems.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with CMMC, NIST 800-171, or CUI environments.
Export control awareness (deemed exports, access segregation for non-US persons).
Experience with EDR/MDR tooling (CrowdStrike Falcon, SentinelOne, or similar).
Experience with on-site rack-mounted server hardware and bare-metal Linux.
Centralized logging, SIEM, and incident response experience.
Familiarity with Microsoft GCC High or government cloud environments.
SOC 2 experience.

Responsibilities

Own and manage the full IT stack including computers, software, network, firewall, and office infrastructure across macOS, Linux, and Windows environments.
Set up a secure VPN, deploy MDM and endpoint security, and work towards a zero-trust architecture, asset inventory, centralized logging, and SIEM.
Manage hardware procurement, asset tracking, onboarding/offboarding, software license management, and the IT budget.
Manage IT and security vendor relationships, deciding on internal vs. outsourced management, evaluating new tools, and holding vendors accountable.
Support on-site rack-mounted server hardware and bare-metal Linux as the company productizes.
Define and own AI usage and safety policies, balancing productivity with IP protection.
Set up an identity platform with SSO, MFA, and role-based access, and connect internal web infrastructure login.
Implement secrets management with key rotation and ensure no credentials are in repositories.
Implement a zero-trust mesh or VPN with identity-gated SSH.
Own cloud security across AWS, GCP, and SLURM, including IAM, VPC/network segmentation, and controlled ingress/egress.
Maintain encrypted backups and build towards secure external access to hardware.
Lead and own all compliance roadmaps and certification efforts (e.g., CMMC Level 2, SOC 2), including buildouts, ongoing compliance, documentation, and coordination with external assessors.
Build a comprehensive security program including zero-trust architecture, asset inventory, centralized logging and SIEM, monitoring, and identity governance.
Own incident response, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning.
Maintain awareness of export control rules due to deep tech work and government contracts.