System Administrator - Level 4

Sophia Space; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 107,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Sophia Space is seeking an IT Infrastructure Engineer to own and scale internal IT systems for a fast‑growing engineering org in Pasadena, CA. You’ll build reliable, secure infrastructure across endpoints, identity, networking, and workflows to boost engineering productivity.

The role is hands-on and critical to reducing friction while aligning with security and compliance objectives. Hybrid flexibility may be available based on business needs.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in IT infrastructure or systems administration.
• Experience with macOS and Windows environments.
• Strong identity and access management experience (SSO, SAML, SCIM, MFA, RBAC).
• Experience with endpoint management and MDM platforms.
• Troubleshooting across endpoints, networking, SaaS, and infra systems.
• Solid networking fundamentals (VPNs, VLANs, Wi‑Fi, firewalls).
• Experience supporting engineering or technical teams.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Excellent organizational and documentation skills.
• Ability to balance security, usability, and scalability.

Responsibilities

• Administer and maintain internal IT infrastructure and services.
• Improve onboarding/offboarding workflows and identity provisioning.
• Provision macOS, Windows, and Linux systems for engineering teams.
• Define and maintain workstation configurations across software, avionics, and hardware teams.
• Manage hardware lifecycle: procurement through inventory.
• Administer identity and access systems (SSO, SAML, SCIM, MFA, RBAC, VPN).
• Maintain MDM and device enrollment (Apple Business Manager, compliance tools).
• Support secure remote access for distributed teams.
• Maintain office/lab network systems (Wi‑Fi, VPN, VLANs, firewalls).
• Develop IT documentation, runbooks, and standards.
• Support security controls aligned with NIST 800-171 and CMMC Level 2.
• Audit readiness: keep records and inventories.
• Identify improvements for efficiency, security, and scalability.
• Automate workflows to improve reliability.
• Partner with engineering leadership to minimize interruptions.

Skills

Systems administration

macOS & Windows

Identity & access

MDM platforms

Troubleshooting

Networking basics

Engineering support

Independent working

Documentation skills

Security vs usability

Tools

Google Workspace

Apple Business Manager

Microsoft Entra ID / Intune

Linux development environments

Scripting (Python, Bash, PowerShell)

Job description

Sophia Space is a venture-backed deep technology company building high-performance, energy-efficient computing systems designed to operate in orbit. Our work sits at the intersection of aerospace systems, advanced computing, artificial intelligence, and applied physics, enabling a new generation of distributed edge computing capabilities in space.

Having successfully completed our Seed financing, Sophia is focused on scaling its team, products, and capabilities as we prepare for the next stage of growth. We are building a world-class engineering organization that combines expertise from aerospace, cloud computing, robotics, and AI to solve some of the most challenging problems in space infrastructure. As both a product company and an engineering-driven organization, we actively leverage modern AI tools throughout our development process to accelerate learning, improve productivity, and help deliver innovative, environmentally responsible computing platforms for the future.

Job Description

Own and scale Sophia Space’s internal IT infrastructure and operational systems to support a rapidly growing engineering organization. This role focuses on building reliable, secure, and scalable internal infrastructure across endpoints, identity systems, networking, and operational workflows.

The position is highly hands-on and critical to enabling engineering productivity, reducing operational friction, and supporting the company’s progression toward security and compliance objectives.

Location & Eligibility

This position is primarily in-person in Pasadena, California, with occasional hybrid flexibility based on business needs.

This position requires access to technology that is subject to U.S. export control laws. To comply with applicable ITAR and EAR regulations, applicants must qualify as a U.S. Person, as defined under those regulations. U.S. Persons generally include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and certain protected individuals as defined by applicable law.

Primary Responsibilities

• Administer and maintain internal IT infrastructure, endpoints, and corporate services across the organization.
• Own and improve onboarding/offboarding workflows, including identity provisioning and access lifecycle management.
• Provision and maintain macOS, Windows, and Linux systems for engineering teams.
• Define and maintain standardized workstation configurations across software, avionics, and hardware teams.
• Manage hardware lifecycle, including procurement, deployment, tracking, and inventory.
• Administer identity and access systems (SSO, SAML, SCIM, MFA, RBAC, VPN access).
• Maintain MDM and device enrollment systems (e.g., Apple Business Manager, endpoint compliance tools).
• Support secure remote access infrastructure and workflows for distributed teams.
• Maintain and troubleshoot office and lab networking systems (Wi-Fi, VPNs, VLANs, firewalls, segmentation).
• Resolve operational issues across endpoints, SaaS platforms, networking, and infrastructure systems.
• Develop and maintain IT documentation, runbooks, onboarding procedures, and operational standards.
• Support implementation of security controls aligned with frameworks such as NIST 800-171 and CMMC Level 2.
• Maintain operational records and asset inventories supporting audit readiness and compliance.
• Identify and implement improvements to operational efficiency, security posture, and scalability.
• Automate repetitive workflows and improve infrastructure reliability and usability.
• Partner with engineering leadership to minimize interruptions and improve developer productivity.

Required Skills

• 5+ years of experience in systems administration, IT infrastructure, or operations roles
• Experience supporting mixed macOS and Windows environments
• Strong experience with identity and access systems (SSO, SAML, SCIM, MFA, RBAC)
• Experience with endpoint management and MDM platforms
• Strong troubleshooting skills across endpoints, networking, SaaS, and infrastructure systems
• Familiarity with networking fundamentals (VPNs, VLANs, Wi-Fi, routing, firewalls)
• Experience supporting engineering or technical teams
• Ability to operate independently and drive improvements with minimal oversight
• Strong organizational and documentation skills
• Ability to balance security, usability, and scalability

Desired Skills

• Experience with Google Workspace administration
• Experience with Apple Business Manager and MDM workflows
• Experience with Microsoft Entra ID and Intune
• Familiarity with Linux-based development environments
• Experience with NIST 800-171, CMMC, or similar frameworks
• Scripting or automation experience (Python, Bash, PowerShell)
• Experience scaling IT systems in startup or high-growth environments
• Experience supporting hardware labs or mixed office/lab environments
• Familiarity with aerospace, defense, or regulated environments

The Pay Range For This Role Is

107,000 - 160,000 USD per year(Pasadena, CA)