Head of IT

8090; Redwood City (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

8090 is seeking a Head of IT to build and scale our internal tech stack from the ground up, reporting to executive leadership. You will own cloud infrastructure, security compliance, IAM, network, and IT operations across two offices in a hands-on, strategic role.

You will lead a growing IT team, implement FinOps, enforce zero-trust principles, manage DAC/DR, and partner with security and compliance to pass audits.

Qualifications

• 5-10 years of professional IT experience, with a proven track record of scaling IT infrastructure.
• Startup leadership as Head or Director of IT in a fast-growing tech startup (Series A–C).
• Security and compliance expertise covering SOC 1/2, FedRAMP, GDPR, HIPAA.
• AI and automation tooling experience, including configuring AI infra and LLM API access.
• FinOps expertise: forecast and optimize cloud and AI workloads.
• Domain management of DNS environments and subdomains for engineering/go-to-market teams.
• Experience in regulated industries balancing compliance with velocity.
• Experience with IAM platforms (Okta, JumpCloud, Entra ID).
• Builder’s mindset: strategic at exec level, hands-on when needed.

Responsibilities

• IT & SaaS administration of core stack (Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, GitHub, etc.).
• Infrastructure & AI cost optimization across providers (OpenAI, AWS, GCP).
• Access management across digital tools, cloud environments, and physical spaces (zero-trust).
• Network and domain management including DNS/SSL/DNSSEC and Wi-Fi infra.
• IT help desk operations and automated self-service portals.
• Device management with MDM for zero-touch provisioning and security.
• Security & compliance operations with SOC 1/2, FedRAMP, GDPR, HIPAA.
• Team leadership: manage contractors and scale IT team.
• Onboarding & offboarding: standardize hardware/software provisioning.
• Business continuity: incident management, DR, backups.

Skills

IT leadership

Startup leadership

Security & compliance

AI & automation tooling

FinOps

Domain management

Regulated industries

IAM platforms

Builder's mindset

Job description

About 8090

The Software Industrial Complex has evolved into a bloated, expensive ecosystem that burdens enterprises with unnecessary complexity and inefficiency. Co-founded and led by Chamath Palihapitiya, we are building a Software Factory that delivers fully-managed and hosted software purpose-built for each customer.

The Opportunity

We are hiring an exceptional Head of IT to join 8090 in a mission-critical leadership role. As the Head of IT, you will build, scale, and secure our internal technology infrastructure from the ground up. You will act as both a strategic leader and a hands-on builder, managing everything from cloud infrastructure and AI cost optimization to security compliance and daily IT operations. This role is central to how 8090 maintains velocity, security, and operational excellence as we scale our engineering and business teams.

Location

You will work in person 5 days a week from our office in Redwood City, CA. You will partner closely with our executive leadership, engineering teams, and operations staff to ensure seamless technology delivery and highly secure physical and digital workspaces.

Key Responsibilities

• IT & SaaS Administration: Own the configuration, administration, and vendor management of our core SaaS stack (Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, GitHub, etc.), ensuring optimal licensing and seamless integration.

• Infrastructure & AI Cost Optimization: Implement FinOps practices to monitor, report on, and optimize cloud infrastructure and AI token costs across multiple providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor, AWS, GCP, and Neoclouds).

• Access Management: Lead employee Identity and Access Management (IAM/SSO/RBAC) across all digital tools, cloud environments, and physical spaces, strictly enforcing a zero-trust architecture.

• Network & Domain Management: Oversee office networking, Wi‑Fi infrastructure, internet redundancy, Zero-trust Network Access, and comprehensive domain management (DNS, SSL, DNSSEC) for the organization.

• IT Help Desk & Service Delivery: Coordinate IT help desk operations, delegate tasks effectively, and establish automated self‑service portals to reduce operational friction for employees across two offices.

• Device Management: Implement and manage Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions (Iru) for zero‑touch provisioning, endpoint security, and unified asset tracking.

• Security & Compliance Operations: Work closely with security and compliance vendors to implement rigorous frameworks, ensuring 8090 operations remain strictly compliant with SOC 1, SOC 2, FedRAMP, GDPR, and HIPAA.

• Team Leadership: Manage IT contractors, mentor early‑career IT team members, and scale the internal IT function strategically as the company grows.

• Onboarding & Offboarding: Define hardware and software standards, streamlining technical onboarding and offboarding to ensure highly secure and efficient employee transitions.

• Business Continuity: Establish robust incident management procedures, disaster recovery protocols, and regular backups to guarantee business continuity in a fast‑paced AI environment.

What Sets You Apart

• Experience: 5-10 years of professional IT experience, with a proven track record of scaling IT infrastructure.

• Startup Leadership: Previous experience serving as a Head or Director of IT for a fast‑paced, high‑growth tech startup (Series A, B, or C stage).

• Security & Compliance: Deep security expertise covering endpoint protection, threat monitoring, and zero‑trust principles. Proven experience in data privacy and compliance frameworks, including leading readiness and audits for SOC 1, SOC 2, FedRAMP, GDPR, and HIPAA.

• AI & Automation Tooling: Deep experience with AI and automation tools, including configuring AI infrastructure, managing LLM API access, and leveraging AIOps to streamline IT workflows.

• FinOps Expertise: Managed administration and cost management for infrastructure assets, with the ability to forecast and optimize complex cloud and AI workloads.

• Domain Management: Extensive domain management expertise, overseeing complex DNS environments and subdomains for engineering and go‑to‑market teams.

• Regulated Industries: Experience working in a regulated industry as an IT or security professional, understanding the balance between strict compliance and developer velocity.

• IAM Platforms: Strong background in modern Identity and Access Management platforms (e.g., Okta, JumpCloud, Entra ID).

• Builder's Mindset: Ability to operate strategically at the executive level while remaining technical enough to jump into the details and execute hands‑on.

Salary Range (US Employees):

$180,000 - $350,000 annual salary + stock and/or stock option awards + benefits. We offer competitive pay and benefits. Compensation may vary depending on many individualized factors, including location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Details of the compensation package, including benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401K, ...), will be provided if and when a candidate receives an offer of employment.

Employment Eligibility- This position is only open to candidates who can provide sufficient documentation establishing employment eligibility in the United States of America and to provide satisfactory proof of your identity as required by U.S. law. A further condition of your employment is satisfactory completion of a credit and/or criminal background check.
We do not provide new work visa sponsorship.

Equal Opportunity Statement - 8090 is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to any factor, including veteran status and disability status, protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws