[Hiring] Director, IT Infrastructure and Cybersecurity @Element U.S. Space & Defense

Role Description

The Director is responsible for all IT infrastructure including equipment, applications, and services that are not user-facing. The Director ensures effective service delivery for IT infrastructure and is responsible for planning, acquisition, and implementation of all technology infrastructure initiatives, providing direction for evolving technology that supports EUSSD strategic plan and cybersecurity needs.

Primary Responsibilities

• Own and manage enterprise system architecture, including Pure Storage Arrays, Cisco Flash Stack, Rubrik, tape backup, SD WAN backbone, Fortinet firewalls/switches, ZTNA/VPN, and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Ensure IT infrastructure availability targets of 99.5% uptime, including operational uptime of critical business applications.
• Maintain data integrity processes, including backup, restoration, archiving, and disaster recovery.
• Drive First Time Right initiatives by streamlining IT infrastructure processes and procedures.
• Direct the deployment, maintenance, inventory control, and lifecycle replacement schedules of IT infrastructure equipment and services.
• Lead IT infrastructure change management by coordinating with functional teams and serving as head of the Change Control Board.
• Monitor, enforce, and maintain cyber defense tools, processes, practices, and training programs to ensure compliance and organizational readiness.
• Monitor and maintain CMMC compliance across IT infrastructure, ensuring systems, processes, and cyber defense capabilities comply with CMMC and other cybersecurity standards and actively participate in monthly CMMC audit activities.
• Serve as IT leader and representative to GSC at quarterly board meetings.
• Evaluate and manage vendor and service relationships for IT infrastructure and cybersecurity providers, including Microsoft Azure, Idea Entity, Netrio, Netrix, Commandlink, KnowBe4, and Twilio.
• Serve as the lead for IT infrastructure initiatives, including communicating project goals, coordinating project onboarding, and engaging outside support resources.
• Coordinate closely with the Director, IT End User Experience & Support to ensure infrastructure changes end user impact is addressed and communicated.
• Drive process improvements aligned with First Time Right initiatives and operational efficiency.
• Assess and address training needs of non-IT organizational personnel as it relates to IT topics.
• Lead, coach, and mentor direct reports; assess training needs, provide ongoing development, create user documentation, and conduct regular performance evaluations.
• Operate within approved budgets and authorization limits, identify and mitigate operational risks, and provide budgeting input and forecasts for future fiscal periods.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology or related field.
• 7 years of progressive experience in IT infrastructure operations, architecture, and support.
• Security and Compliance experience with NIST 800-171 and CMMC Level 2 a must.
• Proven experience developing, maintaining, and enforcing IT processes and procedures.
• Experience working with and managing geographically diverse operations.
• Experience managing and mentoring staff across multiple office locations.
• This is a remote position; 25% of travel is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or related discipline.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in IT infrastructure operations, architecture, and support.
• 5 years of people management experience, including leading technical teams.
• Experience supporting defense, federal, or regulated environments subject to DoD or CMMC compliance.
• Hands-on experience with cloud infrastructure platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) in a hybrid or multi-cloud environment.
• Prior ownership of IT availability, uptime SLAs, and disaster recovery planning.
• Experience leading or participating in audits, compliance assessments, and remediation efforts.
• Demonstrated success managing and mentoring teams across multiple office locations or remote environments.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., CISSP, CISM, CCNP, ITIL, AWS/Azure certifications) are a plus.

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong knowledge of IT infrastructure architecture, including storage, networking, firewalls, VPN/Zero Trust, backup, and recovery solutions.
• In-depth understanding of cybersecurity principles, risk management, and compliance requirements, with practical application of NIST 800-171 and CMMC standards.
• Ability to design and enforce secure, scalable, and highly available systems.
• Experience leading change management, including infrastructure upgrades and system lifecycle planning.
• Proven vendor management skills, including evaluating solutions, managing service providers, and ensuring contract and SLA compliance.
• Ability to translate technical concepts into clear business and risk-based discussions for executive leadership.
• Strong documentation, process improvement, and First Time Right mindset.
• Demonstrated leadership, coaching, and performance management capabilities.
• Effective collaboration skills to partner with end-user support, security, finance, and executive stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize work in a complex, fast-paced environment.

Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; climb stairs; balance; stoop; kneel; crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

EEO Policy Statement

It is the policy of Element US Space & Defense to offer Equal Employment Opportunity to all individuals without regards to race, creed, ancestry, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, physical disabilities, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions. Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V