IT Operations Lead

ChipAgents builds AI agents that help semiconductor engineers design and verify chips faster. We work with leading chip companies, cloud providers, and startups to improve the workflows behind RTL development, simulation, and verification. Role Overview We're looking for an IT Operations Lead to own the technology our team relies on every day. You'll manage our internal tools, employee devices, onboarding and offboarding, and office networks, making sure people have what they need to do their best work. Your job is to help the team move faster. We treat IT as an enabling function: remove friction, keep developers productive, and make everyday technology work reliably. Success means fast onboarding, quick resolution of issues, fewer interruptions, and tools that help people get their work done. You'll be the primary point of contact for employee technology issues, taking ownership from the first report through resolution. You'll also build the processes and automation that prevent recurring problems as the company grows. This is a hands-on role with broad ownership and room to shape how IT operates at ChipAgents. You'll bring practical judgment to security and reliability, choosing approaches proportionate to the risk and minimizing administrative overhead. Changes that materially affect development workflows or introduce new restrictions will be agreed with engineering leadership. You'll also partner with engineering on internal infrastructure projects, with engineering retaining overall ownership of that infrastructure. Key Responsibilities Internal Tools & Access: Administer our business applications, accounts, permissions, and software licenses. Make access straightforward, resolve configuration issues, and manage vendor support and renewals in partnership with relevant teams. Employee Onboarding & Offboarding: Own IT readiness for new hires, including equipment, accounts, application access, and setup guidance, so people can be productive from day one. Coordinate timely access removal and equipment recovery when employees leave. Device Management: Own the lifecycle of employee laptops, workstations, and peripherals, from purchasing and provisioning through maintenance, replacement, and secure retirement. Maintain an accurate inventory and configurations that support each team's work. Employee IT Support: Be the go-to person for hardware, software, account, and connectivity issues. Establish a straightforward support process, prioritize requests, communicate progress, and follow issues through to resolution, coordinating with vendors or engineering when needed. Office Networking & Technology: Configure and maintain office Wi‑Fi, wired networks, network equipment, and meeting‑room technology. Troubleshoot connectivity issues and coordinate with service providers to keep the office running reliably. Practical Security & Reliability: Keep accounts and devices secure and reliable through sensible defaults, automation, and low‑friction maintenance. Work with engineering to meet applicable security and compliance commitments while preserving developer productivity. Evaluate the impact of proposed controls, explain tradeoffs clearly, and find the least disruptive effective solution. Automation & Documentation: Automate repetitive administration, document common fixes, and build straightforward self‑service resources. Reduce unnecessary approvals and manual steps so the team spends less time dealing with technology problems. Infrastructure Collaboration: Support engineering‑led internal infrastructure work through provisioning, access administration, troubleshooting, and operational improvements. Qualifications Experience independently managing IT operations, systems administration, or employee technology support in a growing organization. Hands‑on experience administering business applications, user accounts, identity and access systems, and employee devices. Strong troubleshooting skills across hardware, operating systems, applications, and networking. Familiarity with device management platforms and practical endpoint security. Working knowledge of office networking, including Wi‑Fi, DNS, DHCP, VPNs, and firewalls. A productivity‑first approach to IT: you evaluate tools and processes by how effectively they help people work, and avoid unnecessary approvals, restrictions, and manual steps. Demonstrated judgment balancing security, reliability, and development speed, including adapting controls to the actual risk and needs of the team. Clear communication, patience, and a service‑oriented approach to helping technical and nontechnical colleagues. Strong follow‑through: you can prioritize competing requests, work independently, and recognize when to bring in additional expertise. Preferred Qualifications Experience building or improving IT processes at a startup. Experience automating provisioning and administration using scripts, APIs, or workflow tools. Familiarity with Linux, cloud platforms, and supporting engineering teams. Experience supporting security audits through accurate records and lightweight, repeatable processes. Why Join ChipAgents Own and shape the IT function at a growing AI company. Work closely with engineers, researchers, and business teams building technology for the semiconductor industry. Make an immediate, visible impact on the team's productivity. Have the autonomy to simplify systems, automate busywork, and improve how the company operates. ChipAgents is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds. What We Offer $120K/yr – $200K/yr base salary + equity. Open to above-scale compensation for exceptional candidates. Unlimited PTO and full benefits (medical, vision, dental, 401k). Two engineering‑centric offices with free parking, private gym, and free lunch, drinks and snacks. #J-18808-Ljbffr ScOp Venture Capital LLC.