Director, IT Infrastructure

Rocket Lab; Auckland; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab seeks a Director, IT Infrastructure to lead a global team delivering reliable IT services for engineering and manufacturing. The role reports to the CIO and requires building scalable, secure, and compliant IT solutions across distributed facilities in the US and NZ.

You will shape IT strategy, manage budgets, and partner with Space Systems and Launch Operation teams to drive aggressive business priorities while maintaining high security standards.

Qualifications

• 12+ years' experience in IT infrastructure with increasing responsibility.
• Leadership experience in a globally diverse organization.
• Experience in high tech, engineering and/or manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead a high performing global IT infrastructure team.
• Lead compute, storage, network, OS, and DevOps strategies to support engineering teams.
• Define and manage IT infrastructure priorities with business leaders to meet aggressive goals.
• Develop industry leading processes for global infrastructure services across on-prem and cloud.
• Ensure security/compliance standards across all infrastructure assets.
• Negotiate favorable IT software/hardware agreements with vendors.
• Plan 24x7 global support model and roadmap.
• Travel up to 30% domestically and internationally to support operations.

Skills

IT leadership

Global operations

IT infrastructure

Security/compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IS

Job description

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity’s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

DIRECTOR, IT INFRASTRUCTURE

Based onsite at either our Long Beach, CA or Auckland, NZ facilities, the Director, IT Infrastructure reports to the CIO and develops IT support system strategies, processes and procedures to deliver reliable, repeatable, and scalable information technology solutions to meet Rocket Lab’s expanding business needs. This employee will ensure the efficient delivery of technology to meet the needs of Rocket Lab employees while ensuring high level of security and compliance standards.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:

• Development of a high performing team of IT engineers, located around the world, with priority on enabling our engineers to design, develop, and manufacture world class technology products and solutions.
• Leader in compute, storage, network, OS, and Devops technologies required to support a dynamic engineering company that is developing the latest Rocket and Satellite technology.
• Defines and manages IT infrastructure priorities with business leaders of Space Systems and Launch Operation teams to ensure aggressive business priorities are achieved by the team.
• Develops industry leading processes and procedures for manage global infrastructures services across many Rocket Lab facilities, with on-premises infrastructure as well as cloud-based infrastructure, while delivering high availably and uptime.
• Ensures fleet of infrastructure equipment meets Rocket Lab security and compliance standards.
• Develops relationships with vendors for procurement of IT software and hardware. Negotiates most favorable agreements for Rocket Lab.
• Develop strategy for 24x7 global support model.
• Travel domestically and internationally up to 30% of the time to support IT infrastructure operations globally.

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

• 12+ years' experience with increasing responsibility in IT infrastructure with Operations, Data Centers, Virtualization, O365, Networks, Support, and Security.
• IT leadership in a globally diverse organization.
• Experience in high tech, engineering and/or manufacturing organizations.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or other relevant fields.
• US citizenship is required, due to program requirements.

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• Experience in a high-availability 24/7 Cloud/AWS/Azure and On-Prem environment.
• Technical expertise in components like Windows, Linux, VMWare, iSeries, Networking, SAN, Switches, Firewall, Wifi and Access Points, etc.
• Experience with M&A (due diligence, integration planning, execution) and impacts on IT.
• Prior experience in rapid growth environment.

This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.

WHAT TO EXPECT

We’re on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that’s not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other’s backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here .

Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at [e-mail]. This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:

For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations, click here ITAR Regulations.