Remote IT Operations & Security Lead — SOC 2 Focus

DataKind; New York (NY); Remote; USD 98,000 - 109,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible PTO

100% employer-paid medical, vision, &

Wellness reimbursement

12 weeks parental leave

Professional development funding

401(k) with 5% match

Job summary

DataKind is seeking an IT Operations & Security Lead to own daily IT operations and drive SOC 2 compliance as a partnership with the Security Director. This remote role supports a distributed team across the U.S., with work hours aligned to Eastern Time.

You will manage device lifecycles, Google Workspace, IAM, MDM, and security-driven process improvements while coordinating with vendors and budgets. Strong communication and documentation are essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in IT operations or systems administration, with at least 2 years owning IT for an organization or office
• Direct experience supporting a SOC 2 audit (or ISO 27001 or similar), including evidence collection and operating controls
• Strong working knowledge of operating systems (Windows, MacOS, Linux), IAM platforms, MDM, and SaaS administration
• Clear, patient communication with non-technical colleagues
• Judgment to prioritize between a helpdesk and a compliance deadline
• Experience creating documentation and standard operating procedures

Responsibilities

• Own the employee device lifecycle: procurement, setup, onboarding and offboarding, inventory, and retirement
• Administer Google Workspace and other SaaS applications
• Manage user accounts, permissions, and access controls
• Manage endpoints through MDM including patching, encryption, and configuration standards
• Provide responsive helpdesk support and build self-service documentation
• Manage IT vendors, licenses, and the IT budget, and flag renewal and cost decisions early
• Assist with testing and evaluation of technology services
• Support process improvements and operational enhancements as needed
• Partner with the Director of Security and Compliance to maintain organized and audit-ready compliance evidence
• Support cybersecurity audit and assessments
• Collaborate with system owners to reduce vulnerabilities and compliance gaps
• Maintain IT policies and procedures and keep them consistent with how the team actually works
• Support security incident response by triaging alerts, escalating appropriately, and documenting outcomes
• Leverage AI tools and automation to improve security monitoring, third party risk management and incident response

Skills

Communication skills

Decision making

Documentation

Education

CompTIA Security+

Google Workspace Administrator

Microsoft 365 Administrator

Tools

Identity & access management

MDM

SaaS administration

Job description

DataKind is seeking an IT Operations & Security Lead to own daily IT operations and drive SOC 2 compliance as a partnership with the Security Director. This remote role supports a distributed team across the U.S., with work hours aligned to Eastern Time.

You will manage device lifecycles, Google Workspace, IAM, MDM, and security-driven process improvements while coordinating with vendors and budgets. Strong communication and documentation are essential.