IT Manager

Heart Aerospace; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Heart Aerospace is seeking an IT Manager in Los Angeles to lead the IT roadmap and build the infrastructure that supports our engineering teams. You will own enterprise IT systems, user access, and network architecture while partnering with Engineering, Operations and Finance to drive efficient, scalable solutions.

You will manage a mixed-device environment (Windows, macOS, Linux) and guide SaaS/vendor lifecycle, with a focus on security and internal self-service resources.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive IT experience with ownership of core infrastructure.
• Hands-on experience with Windows and macOS administration; Linux support experience.
• Experience implementing identity systems (SSO, MFA) and access controls.
• Knowledge of networking fundamentals (VLANs, firewalls, VPN, Wi‑Fi) in office/lab settings.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication.
• Passion for aircraft and Heart’s mission.

Responsibilities

• Own the IT roadmap and operating model for a startup, including standards and delivery.
• Partner with Engineering, Operations and Finance to translate needs into concrete projects.
• Design and operate enterprise IT systems (IAM, document storage, conferencing).
• Build and maintain a mixed-device environment (Windows, macOS, Linux).
• Own network and remote access architecture for office, lab and hangar environments.
• Own SaaS and vendor lifecycle management (evaluation, licensing, renewals, security).
• Create onboarding guides, acceptable use policies, and secure data handling SOPs.
• Plan for scale and decide what remains in-house vs. external.

Skills

IT leadership

Systems administration

Networking basics

English communication

Aircraft passion

Tools

Microsoft 365

AWS

Azure

GCP

IAM

Job description

At Heart Aerospace we develop the ES-30, a regional hybrid-electric airplane with a capacity of 30 passengers, an electric zero-emission range of 200 km and an extended hybrid range of 400 km. Heart is targeting type certification of the ES-30 by the end of the decade.

Your mission

As IT Manager, you would be responsible for building and maintaining IT infrastructure that the Heart engineering team relies on to do their work effectively and securely. You will report to the Head of Software, inside of the Engineering Organization. You will own both engineering IT systems and corporate infrastructure, including the corporate network infrastructure and enterprise IT systems. Your primary objective is to work side by side with engineers to identify bottlenecks and friction in the development process, and solving those problems with creative and automated solutions.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Own the IT roadmap and operating model for a fast-moving startup including standards, priorities, tradeoffs, and delivery.
• Partner with Engineering, Operations, and Finance to translate ambiguous needs into clear, pragmatic requirements and projects.
• Design and operate enterprise IT systems, including identity and access management (IAM), document storage, conferencing systems, etc.
• Build and maintain a mixed-device environment across Windows, macOS, and Linux: provisioning, baseline configuration, patching, endpoint security, and device lifecycle management.
• Own network and remote access architecture for office, lab and hangar environments.
• Own SaaS and vendor lifecycle management: evaluation, procurement, license management, renewals, and security reviews.
• Establish documentation and self-service resources: onboarding guides, acceptable use policies, secure data handling, and IT SOPs.
• Plan for scale. Define when to hire an internal IT Systems Administrator and which functions should remain with external support vs. brought in-house.

You'll Bring These Qualifications:

• 7+ years of progressive IT experience (systems administration, IT operations, or IT engineering), including ownership of core infrastructure.
• Hands-on experience with Windows and macOS administration and lifecycle management; practical experience supporting Linux users and workflows.
• Experience implementing and administering identity systems (SSO, MFA) and access controls.
• Working knowledge of networking fundamentals (VLANs/segmentation, firewalls, VPN/secure remote access, Wi-Fi) in an office/lab setting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Passion for aircraft and Heart’s mission.

These Qualifications Would Be Nice to Have:

• Experience with Microsoft 365.
• Experience with public cloud systems (AWS, Microsoft Azure, GCP).
• Exposure to hosting commercial or in house developed engineering applications.
• Experience in early-stage or high-growth environments where speed, pragmatism, and strong judgment matter.
• Experience with SOC 2 or ISO 27001.

Base Pay Range:

$150,000 — $180,000 USD