Sr IT and Security Manager

TalentHound Staffing; Byron (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

TalentHound Staffing is recruiting for a solo IT and security lead for a fast-scaling tech client in California. You’ll own security, network defense, and compliance from day one, operating as the architect and hands-on operator to keep systems running and secure.

You’ll design a CMMC/NIST framework, manage IdP and endpoint security, and own day-to-day IT operations, vendor contracts, and business continuity planning while the team grows.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in IT infrastructure, operations, or security with solo or small-team ownership.
• Strong cloud experience (GCP and AWS).
• Hands-on MDM (Jamf/Intune) and EDR deployment.
• Identity system automation (Okta, Azure AD) in regulated environments.
• Deep network security expertise - VPNs, firewalls, routing, segmentation.

Responsibilities

• Architect and actively defend physical and cloud network infrastructure; own logging, detection, and incident response.
• Build and maintain CMMC (and related NIST 800-171/800-53) compliance from the ground up; serve as key stakeholder in audits.
• Own IdP systems on least-privilege and just-in-time principles.
• MDM/EDR deployment; fleet lifecycle; device-trust and conditional-access workflows.
• Day-to-day IT operations; SaaS management; onboarding/offboarding automation; web hosting/DNS support.
• Vendor management: select and manage IT/security tooling and contracts.
• Business continuity & disaster recovery planning.

Skills

Security & network defense

CMMC compliance

IAM (Okta/Azure AD)

Endpoint management

IT operations

Vendor management

BCP/DR planning

Cloud security

Tools

Jamf

Intune

Job description

Client is a fast-scaling tech company moving from product testing into full-rate production, and we need one person to own IT and security from the ground up. This is a true builder role: you'll be a team of one in the near future until the company grows fast enough to build a small team, operating as both the strategist setting direction and the hands-on operator keeping systems running day to day. You'll design and defend the network against real threats, and you'll build and maintain the CMMC compliance framework that lets us operate in export-controlled, government-adjacent environments - essentially standing up the function solo before it grows.

You'll work directly with engineering, security, legal, and leadership, with full ownership of decisions that in a larger company would be split across a team.

What You'll Own

• Security & network defense - architect and actively defend physical and cloud network infrastructure against intrusion; own logging, detection, and incident response
• CMMC / compliance framework - build and maintain CMMC (and related NIST 800-171/800-53) compliance from the ground up, and serve as the key stakeholder in audits and regulatory inspections
• Identity & access management - own IdP systems on least-privilege and just-in-time principles
• Endpoint management - MDM/EDR deployment, fleet lifecycle, device-trust and conditional-access workflows
• Day-to-day IT operations - corporate IT, SaaS management, employee onboarding/offboarding automation, web hosting/DNS support
• Vendor management - select and manage IT/security tooling and contracts
• Business continuity & disaster recovery planning

What Success Looks Like

You're equally comfortable setting long-term security strategy and personally racking a switch or troubleshooting a laptop. You take full ownership with no team to delegate to, make sound judgment calls in ambiguity, and treat security as a first principle - not a checkbox - while still enabling the business to move fast. You're building something that doesn't exist yet, not maintaining something that does.

Requirements

• 8+ years in IT infrastructure, operations, or systems engineering, including solo or small-team ownership
• Strong cloud experience (GCP and AWS)
• Hands-on MDM (Jamf/Intune) and EDR implementation
• Identity system automation (Okta, Azure AD) in regulated environments
• Deep network security expertise - VPNs, firewalls, routing, segmentation, threat defense
• Direct experience building or maintaining CMMC and/or NIST 800-171 compliance frameworks
• Eligible to work in the US and to hold ITAR/EAR access
• Comfortable being on-site regularly to support a small, fast-moving team

Nice to Have

• Prior ITAR/EAR or export-controlled environment experience
• Aerospace, defense, energy, or deep-tech background
• Experience supporting hardware labs or secure manufacturing facilities
• History being the first IT hire at an early-stage company and scaling the function over time