IT Manager

About the role

Icarus was founded on the belief that the Stratosphere is the Forgotten Frontier and that reclaiming it will define the next era of aerospace and what is possible from the sky. We build solar-powered aircraft that fly at 60,000 ft for weeks at a time, delivering persistent, affordable, and scalable presence from this layer of the atmosphere. Our mission is to re-establish and maintain dominance in the Stratosphere.

This is not a normal IT job. We are pioneers, not corporate managers. Icarus deliberately optimizes for a high signal (engineering) to noise (management) ratio, where engineering, manufacturing, flight, and execution matter more than process, politics, or management overhead.

Responsibilities

• Own IT end to end. You are our first dedicated IT hire, accountable for everything from laptop provisioning to identity to the network on the factory floor.
• Run front-line support for the entire company. Triage and resolve requests quickly, and keep people informed while you do it.
• Own identity and access management. Provision and de-provision accounts across our business systems and run periodic access reviews.
• Administer our Microsoft 365 environment (Entra ID, Intune, SharePoint, Teams) along with the SaaS tools the company runs on.
• Own endpoint management across Windows, macOS, and Linux, including imaging, patching, and MDM enrollment.
• Own IT asset management. Source, track, and forecast hardware against the hiring plan so no one starts without a working machine.
• Support network and infrastructure across the office and the factory, including conference room AV and connectivity for test and manufacturing equipment.
• Build the IT-side controls required for NIST 800-171 and CMMC, partnering with whoever owns security.
• Automate the repetitive work. Scripting is expected, not optional.
• Document as you build. You are writing the runbook, not inheriting one.

Your users are engineers. They will find the edge of anything you deploy and they will tell you about it. Support them accordingly. You are supporting a factory, not just an office. Test benches, CAD workstations, license servers, and manufacturing equipment are all in scope. You are building the function, not maintaining it. There is no existing IT team, no inherited backlog, and no one to tell you which ticketing system to use.

Requirements

• 3-5 years of hands-on IT experience in a fast-paced environment, with a track record of resolving a wide range of issues without an escalation path behind you.
• Strong Microsoft 365 administration, including Entra ID, Intune, SharePoint, and Teams.
• Hands-on support experience across Windows and macOS, and comfort in Linux.
• Experience with identity and access management tools such as Entra ID, Okta, or equivalent.
• Experience with endpoint management platforms such as Intune, Jamf, or Apple Business Manager.
• Scripting ability in PowerShell, Bash, or Python, and the instinct to automate anything you have done twice.
• Excellent written communication. You write documentation people actually use.
• Comfort in an evolving environment where priorities shift, and composure when something is down.
• A serious commitment to feedback and growth.
• The drive to perform in a fast-paced, high-intensity environment.

Nice to have

• Experience preparing for or operating under NIST 800-171, CMMC, or a similar defense compliance framework.
• IT experience at an aerospace, defense, or other compliance-driven company.
• Networking depth: VLANs, firewalls, and segmented networks for manufacturing and test equipment.
• Experience supporting engineering tooling such as CAD workstations, PLM or ERP systems, and license servers.
• CompTIA or Microsoft certifications.
• Startup experience where you wore many hats.

Benefits

• Meaningful equity
• Top market salary and bonuses
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Factory in El Segundo
• Real ownership, real hardware, real flight
• Small team, massive responsibility (but growing very fast)
• High signal (engineering) to noise (management) culture
• Dream desk setup
• Daily lunch
• Unlimited Celsius

Pay

US salary range $100,000 - $140,000 USD. The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Icarus' total compensation package.

Schedule

All employees work on-site at our Los Angeles facility five days a week — we don't offer remote or hybrid arrangements. If you're relocating, we'll support your move.