Director of IT

Star Catcher; Jacksonville (FL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

401(k)

Life insurance

Parental leave

Other benefits

Job summary

Star Catcher Industries, Inc. (Star Catcher) in Jacksonville, FL, has an immediate opening for a Director of IT.

We are seeking a strategic, hands-on leader to build, secure, and scale our entire technology infrastructure as we move into a new high-tech facility. The role includes networking, cybersecurity, and aerospace compliance (CMMC/NIST), with oversight of Google Workspace/Microsoft 365, ERP systems, and CAD/PLM software.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in IT, with at least 3 years in a leadership or management role.
• Experience in Aerospace or Defense with ITAR/EAR regulations and cybersecurity frameworks like NIST or CMMC.
• Proven infrastructure experience, including building IT for new facilities.
• Advanced networking knowledge of firewalls, VPNs, secure Wi‑Fi, and cloud architecture (AWS/Azure).
• Strong communication to translate security requirements for leadership.
• Problem-solving mindset with budgeting ability.
• Security certifications such as CISSP or CISM are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Infrastructure strategy: design and oversee the IT roadmap for our new facility, including high-speed networking for labs.
• Cybersecurity & compliance: lead efforts to achieve and maintain CMMC Level 2 and NIST 800-171.
• Systems management: oversee administration of Google Workspace/Microsoft 365, ERP, and CAD/PLM software.
• Facility tech integration: partner with Operations to manage IT for clean room, optical labs, and machine shop.
• Vendor & budget management: select vendors, manage relationships, and track annual IT budget.
• Policy development: establish IT policies, disaster recovery, incident response, and acceptable use.
• Team leadership: recruit, mentor, and scale a high-performing IT team.
• User support: maintain high uptime for engineering and production teams.

Skills

IT leadership

Infrastructure design

Cybersecurity

Networking

Cloud architecture

IT governance

Tools

Google Workspace/Microsoft 365

ERP systems

CAD/PLM software

Job description

Power the future of Space at Star Catcher

Star Catcher is powering the future of space by building the world’s first orbital energy grid: the Star Catcher Network. Spacecraft connect into the Star Catcher Network and receive conditioned energy via their existing solar arrays, requiring no retrofit to utilize the first true space-based infrastructure. The Star Catcher Network provides power as needed from tens of Watts to tens of thousands of Watts at concentrations from fractions of a Sun of flux to ten Suns of flux.

The Star Catcher Network enables More Uptime, More Bandwidth, and More Mission.

Join our team of experienced and passionate space innovators driven to transform and expand humanity’s utilization of space. The creation of space-based power infrastructure is as impactful for space missions in the 2020’s and 2030’s as the advent of low-cost launch services was in the 2010’s. We seek individuals who share our passion for enabling people to do more in space and are not afraid to get their hands dirty to make our vision of the future reality.

Star Catcher Industries, Inc. (Star Catcher), located in Jacksonville, Florida, has an immediate opening for aDirector of IT. We are looking for a strategic, hands-on leader to build, secure, and scale our entire technology infrastructure. As we move into our new high-tech facility, the Director of IT will be responsible for everything from foundational networking and cybersecurity to ensuring we meet rigorous aerospace compliance standards (CMMC/NIST). This is a high-impact leadership role that requires a blend of technical "in the trenches" ability and long-term strategic vision.

Responsibilities:

• Infrastructure Strategy: Design and oversee the implementation of the IT roadmap for our new facility, including high-speed networking for our Engineering and Laser Labs.
• Cybersecurity & Compliance: Lead the company’s efforts to achieve and maintain CMMC Level 2 and NIST 800-171 compliance. This is mission-critical for protecting our IP and securing future contracts.
• Systems Management: Oversee the administration of all company systems, including Google Workspace/Microsoft 365, ERP systems, and specialized aerospace engineering software (CAD/PLM).
• Facility Tech Integration: Partner with the Operations team to manage IT needs for the 9,560 SF Clean Room, Optical Labs, and Machine Shop, ensuring seamless data flow and security.
• Vendor & Budget Management: Select and manage relationships with ISPs, hardware vendors, and MSPs. Develop and track the annual IT budget to ensure cost-effective scaling.
• Policy Development: Establish company-wide IT policies, including disaster recovery, incident response, and acceptable use policies.
• Team Leadership: Recruit, mentor, and manage a high-performing IT team as the company scales toward 120+ employees.
• User Support: Ensure a high standard of technical support for all employees, minimizing downtime for our engineering and production teams.

Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in IT, with at least 3 years in a leadership or management role.
• Experience in Aerospace or Defense: A deep understanding of ITAR/EAR regulations and cybersecurity frameworks like NIST or CMMC is highly preferred.
• Proven Infrastructure Experience: Experience building out IT for new facilities, ideally including labs or manufacturing environments.
• Advanced Networking Knowledge: Mastery of firewalls, VPNs, secure Wi-Fi, and cloud architecture (AWS/Azure).
• Communication Skills: Ability to translate complex technical security requirements into actionable plans for non-technical leadership.
• Problem-Solving Mindset: You are a "fixer" who can jump in to solve a server crisis while simultaneously planning a 3-year technology budget.
• Security Certifications: CISSP, CISM, or similar certifications are a significant plus.

Ideal Experience:

• Startup Growth: You have previously scaled a company’s IT from 20 to 100+ employees.
• Hardware/Software Integration: Experience managing IT for machine shops or automated hardware testing environments.
• Automation: Experience using tools to automate compliance monitoring and evidence collection for audits.

Help us deploy and scale space infrastructure that will drive our utilization of space forward!

We offer a highly competitive benefits package including.

• access to comprehensive medical
• dental
• vision coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan
• life insurance
• paid parental leave
• other benefits

Star Catcher is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Star Catcher is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

All offers of employment at Star Catcher are contingent upon results of a thorough background check and your ability to provide proof of eligibility to work in the US.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.