IT Manager

Parallel Systems is pioneering autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles designed to transform freight transportation by shifting portions of the $900 billion U.S. trucking industry onto rail. Our innovative technology offers cleaner, safer, and more efficient logistics solutions. Join our dynamic team and help shape a smarter, greener future for global freight. IT Manager   Parallel Systems is seeking an experienced, hands-on IT Manager to own and scale the company’s internal IT function. This role is responsible for both strategy and execution. You will design, implement, and operate the IT systems that support a fast-growing engineering and operations organization.   You will report into the engineering organization and work primarily on-site at our California offices. This is not a helpdesk-only role. You will be the primary owner of corporate IT, expected to make decisions, drive improvements, and personally execute where needed.   Responsibilities   Own the end-to-end IT strategy and operating model, ensuring infrastructure, tooling, and security scale with company growth and business priorities   Act as the primary IT owner for the company, serving as the main technical partner to leadership and department heads   Design, maintain, and continuously improve corporate IT infrastructure, including networking, conference room systems, end-user devices, and cloud-based assets   Lead network architecture and long-term infrastructure improvement projects across offices and facilities   Manage IT budget, forecast spend, and drive cost efficiency across hardware, SaaS tools, and managed service providers   Own vendor relationships and contract negotiations, including SaaS renewals, hardware procurement, and external IT services   Execute hands-on, on-site technical work as needed, including installing, configuring, repairing, and replacing devices, network equipment, and software   Serve as the escalation point for technical issues and ensure timely resolution of IT requests received via Slack, email, or other support channels   Design and own IT automation and workflows, including onboarding, offboarding, access provisioning, and device lifecycle management   Own device management and internal MDM services across all endpoints   Establish, document, and enforce IT policies and standards, including device management, access controls, data protection, and acceptable use   Define, track, and report IT performance metrics such as uptime, ticket SLAs, security incidents, and cost efficiency   Track IT tickets through JIRA to completion and communicate status updates clearly and consistently   What Success Looks Like   After 30 days:  You understand Parallel’s network architecture, device fleet, security posture, and software stack. You have identified gaps, risks, and inefficiencies across IT processes, tools, and infrastructure. You have built relationships with leadership and key stakeholders and aligned with them on business priorities. You have inventoried all IT assets and recorded their condition and location.   After 60 days:  You have a clear, approved roadmap for IT improvements with defined metrics. You have completed at least one meaningful infrastructure or process improvement. You have visibility into IT costs, contracts, and renewal timelines and have established working relationships with key vendors.   After 90 days:  IT operations are more reliable, secure, and scalable. Leadership has confidence in IT execution and decision-making. You are actively delivering against the roadmap and have optimized at least two areas of IT spend or operational efficiency.   Basic Qualifications   Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or 5+ years of full-time professional IT experience   Experience owning and administering corporate IT environments, including Active Directory or equivalent identity systems and MDM platforms such as Kandji or Intune   Hands-on experience designing, maintaining, and improving office and enterprise network infrastructure using Unifi or comparable solutions   Experience managing IT budgets, forecasting spend, and driving cost efficiency across tools and infrastructure   Experience managing IT vendors, contracts, and SaaS licensing   Experience defining, tracking, and reporting IT performance metrics and KPIs   Strong understanding of IT security best practices, including endpoint security, access controls, data protection, and incident response   Ability to perform on-site physical tasks, including standing, bending, lifting, and carrying equipment up to 50 lbs   Preferred Qualifications   Experience acting as the primary IT owner or lead in a startup or high-growth environment   Experience building or improving IT automation and operational workflows   Working knowledge of authentication and identity protocols such as Kerberos, SAML, OAuth, or similar technologies   Strong understanding of wireless networking technologies, network planning, and security configurations   Experience supporting engineering-heavy or hardware-focused organizations   We are committed to providing fair and transparent compensation in accordance with applicable laws. Salary ranges are listed below and reflect the expected range for new hires in this role, based on factors such as skills, experience, qualifications, and location. Final compensation may vary and will be determined during the interview process. The target hiring range for this position is listed below. Target Salary Range: $140,000 — $159,000 USD Parallel Systems is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any discriminatory factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. We work to build an inclusive environment in which all people can come to d