IT Operations Lead

Job Description

Job Description

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. By combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we help aerospace and defense companies build rockets, satellites, aircraft, ships, and other mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost.

Following our $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, Hadrian is rapidly expanding our manufacturing footprint, launching new capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more, while scaling our Factory-as-a-Service platform to transform how critical products are built.

Backed by leading investors including JPMorgan Chase, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 137 Ventures, Lux Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Morgan Stanley, we’re building the future of American manufacturing—and looking for exceptional people to help make it happen.

If you’re ready to take on the most challenging and rewarding work of your career while helping create American manufacturing jobs for generations to come, you’re exactly who we’re looking for.

The Role

You will be at Hadrian's HQ in Torrance, CA. Execs, engineering, design, program teams, and visiting customers all work out of our Torrance campus. As IT Lead, you own the health of the team that keeps corporate IT running for our west coast operations, with a secondary lens on our factory operations.

You will lead a small team of Technicians, Analysts, and Systems Admins. Two things sit at the center of the job: technical ability and leadership.

Corporate IT is your main focus. Factory IT is your secondary partnership: you back up the site IT teams, keep our tools consistent between HQ and the floor, and make sure the two sides feel like one company.

What You'll Do

• Lead the IT team day to day at HQ. Set priorities, clear blockers, and get your hands dirty so the queue keeps moving and the projects keep landing.

• Build and evolve our AI chatbot workflows. Design intents, wire up integrations to Okta, Microsoft 365, Box, Jira, and our internal systems, and keep the flows tuned as the business changes.

• Keep a live pulse on ticket flow across HQ and the factory. Watch volume, categories, and repeat requests, and turn what you see into automation, chatbot skills, self-service, or new runbooks.

• Own executive service and white-glove support. Make sure execs, board members, and visiting VIPs get fast, quiet, and reliable help every time they are on campus or on the road.

• Help the team run live AV for all-hands, podcasts, and events. Own the conference rooms, all-hands spaces, and event AV. Set up, test, and run the show so nothing on stage or on Teams is a surprise.

• Partner with factory IT as a secondary focus. Back up site IT during rollouts, incidents, and audits, and keep our identity, endpoint, and ITSM setup consistent between HQ and the factory.

• Coach Technicians, Analysts, and Systems Admins. Teach them how to think in workflows and automations, how to handle exec support with care, and how to run AV without a script.

• Partner with Security, Infrastructure, DevOps, Facilities, People Ops, and Production leaders. Speak for IT in planning conversations and translate their needs into work the team can pick up.

• Own our vendor and license footprint. Negotiate, right-size, and track spend.

• Handle the hard escalations. Be the person people call when something big is on fire, and lead the post-mortem after.

• Hire. Screen, interview, and close strong candidates as the team grows.

What We're Looking For

• 7 or more years in IT, with at least 2 leading a team or a major program.

• Strong background in corporate IT at a HQ or campus environment. You have supported execs, engineering, and business teams, and you know how a headquarters is different from a shop floor.

• Hands-on track record building AI chatbot workflows and ticket deflection flows in platforms like Serval, Moveworks, or similar. You have shipped flows that measurably cut ticket volume.

• Strong instinct for reading ticket data. You can look at a queue and tell what should be automated, what should be documented, and what should be pushed back on.

• Real experience with executive and white-glove support. You know how to move fast without making noise, and how to teach a team to do the same.

• Hands-on AV experience with conference room gear such as Crestron, Q-SYS, Logitech, or similar. You have set up rooms, tuned audio, and fixed AV under time pressure.

• Strong technical base. You have run a service desk, administered core SaaS platforms (Okta, Microsoft 365, MDM, ITSM), and shipped automation or integrations yourself.

• Track record of running an IT function that scales: SLAs, on-call, change management, asset lifecycle, and clean handoffs.

• Comfort partnering with a factory or field IT team as a secondary customer, even if HQ is your primary.

• Sharp written and verbal communicator. You can brief an exec, coach a new hire, and write a clear post-mortem in the same week.

• Steady judgment. You know when to move fast, when to slow down, and when to say no.

• Able to work on-site at our Torrance, CA HQ and surrounding locations, with occasional travel.

• Able to lift up to 50 lbs and move hardware or AV gear around the campus and event spaces as needed.

What Will Set You Apart

• Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.

• Prior software engineering, scripting, or DevOps background. You can build the automation, not just spec it.

• Certifications such as Crestron CTS, AVIXA CTS, or Q-SYS Level 1/2.

• Experience running IT across both a corporate HQ and a manufacturing site.

• Time spent in aerospace, defense, or another regulated environment.

• Familiarity with compliance frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIST 800-171, or CMMC.

• Experience building an IT team from a handful of people to a real function.

Compensation

For this role, the target salary range is $121,000 - $145,000 (actual range may vary based on experience).

This is the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

Benefits for Full-time Employees

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees

• 401k

• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.

• Flexible vacation policy

• Equity

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Use of AI in hiring

Hadrian uses AI-assisted tools in our recruiting and hiring processes to help our team work more efficiently. This may include tools that help organize and analyze recruiting data, as well as an AI-powered notetaker that can record and transcribe interviews and help coordinate feedback. These tools support our team and are not used to make hiring decisions. All candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are performed by humans. If an interview will be recorded, you will be notified in advance and may opt out at any time with no impact on your candidacy. Candidate data processed through these tools is subject to the same protections described in our Privacy Policy.

Consideration of Criminal History

Hadrian will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of all applicable laws. We do not ask about criminal history on our application, and we do not consider criminal history before making a conditional offer of employment.

Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.