Manager, IT, DevOps & Cybersecurity

Company Description Specular Theory is an award-winning immersive hardware and software training company based in Venice Beach, CA, focused on delivering next-generation XR training products for the aerospace. The company combines advanced technology with innovative design to create high-impact training experiences for complex operational environments. Team members collaborate with defense and aerospace partners to solve real-world training challenges using cutting-edge XR solutions. Specular Theory offers opportunities to work on mission-critical products while contributing to the future of immersive training and simulation.

About the Role

We are seeking a hands-on IT, DevOps & Cybersecurity Manager to lead the technical infrastructure, operations, and security functions supporting our business and U.S. Department of Defense training products.

Reporting to the Head of Engineering, this role manages a small, multidisciplinary team spanning DevOps, cybersecurity, and IT helpdesk support. You'll establish priorities, develop your team, and ensure our systems are secure, reliable, and scalable.

This is a player-coach position. You must be equally comfortable leading technical personnel, coordinating complex initiatives, and rolling up your sleeves to troubleshoot challenging infrastructure, networking, cloud, deployment, or security issues.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and coordinate the DevOps, cybersecurity, and IT support teams, establishing clear priorities, responsibilities, and accountability.
• Manage workloads, resolve competing priorities, and ensure critical technical issues are addressed effectively.
• Serve as a senior technical escalation point, directly troubleshooting complex systems, network, infrastructure, deployment, and security problems when needed.
• Translate business and product requirements into actionable infrastructure and technology priorities.
• Identify opportunities to improve team capabilities, processes, tools, and vendor support.
• Communicate technical risks, priorities, and progress clearly to engineering and company leadership.

DevOps & Product Infrastructure

• Oversee cloud and backend infrastructure, application hosting and distribution, and environments supporting our VR and simulation products.
• Manage CI/CD pipelines, build and deployment automation, containerized environments, and configuration management.
• Ensure infrastructure reliability, scalability, performance, and availability through effective monitoring, logging, and alerting.
• Lead technical troubleshooting, system configuration improvements, infrastructure updates, patching, and disaster recovery planning.
• Partner with software and product engineering to improve deployment efficiency, development workflows, and system reliability.
• Maintain infrastructure documentation and implement automation to eliminate recurring issues and reduce manual effort.

Our technology environment includes:

Microsoft Azure, Azure DevOps, Windows Server, C# / ASP.NET Core, PostgreSQL, Docker, CI/CD pipelines, Windows-based gaming and simulation systems, VR hardware, and specialized training equipment.

Expertise in every technology is not required, but sufficient technical depth to understand the environment, guide decisions, and support the team is required.

Cybersecurity & Defense Compliance

• Provide technical leadership and management oversight of the company's cybersecurity program, working closely with dedicated cybersecurity personnel.
• Support compliance, security authorization, and ongoing monitoring activities associated with applicable frameworks and requirements, including:
• CMMC Level 2 and NIST SP 800-171
• DoD Risk Management Framework (RMF) and Authority to Operate (ATO)
• DISA Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs)
• Oversee vulnerability scanning and remediation, security hardening, identity and access management, and incident response.
• Ensure cybersecurity requirements are incorporated into corporate IT, infrastructure, product development, and DevSecOps practices.
• Support security documentation, evidence collection, audit readiness, and continuous monitoring.
• Partner with cybersecurity specialists to resolve technical findings, address security risks, and maintain compliance.

Corporate IT & Operational Excellence

• Oversee day-to-day corporate IT operations, including desktop support, Windows systems, networking, endpoints, and user services.
• Ensure effective management of user accounts, access permissions, hardware and software provisioning, licensing, asset inventories, and employee onboarding and offboarding.
• Establish reliable processes for help desk support, technical escalation, system monitoring, patch management, backups, and disaster recovery.
• Maintain standards for system documentation, access reviews, infrastructure change management, and operational security.
• Improve operational efficiency through automation, standard operating procedures, and proactive identification of recurring issues.
• Ensure routine IT needs are handled efficiently while providing technical direction and escalation for complex problems.

Qualifications

• Strong hands-on technical background spanning IT infrastructure, systems administration, DevOps, cloud infrastructure, and/or cybersecurity.
• Experience leading, mentoring, or managing technical personnel, ideally within a small, multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose and resolve complex infrastructure, networking, cloud, deployment, and security issues.
• Experience administering Windows-based environments and cloud infrastructure, preferably Microsoft Azure; AWS experience is also valuable.
• Solid understanding of networking, firewalls, identity management, access controls, endpoint security, and vulnerability management.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, automation, containers, and modern DevOps practices.
• Strong organizational skills, sound technical judgment, and the ability to balance competing operational and project priorities.
• Ability to communicate effectively with engineers, executives, customers, and external technical partners.

Preferred Experience

• Defense & Government: Department of Defense or U.S. Air Force programs, defense software environments, or government security requirements.
• Security & Compliance: CMMC Level 2, NIST SP 800-171, RMF/ATO processes, DISA STIGs, eMASS, and vulnerability/compliance tools such as ACAS, Nessus, or SCAP.
• Cloud & Development: Azure Government, IL4/IL5 environments, DevSecOps, and secure software deployment practices.
• Specialized Technology: Simulation, VR, gaming, real-time software, or other complex technical training environments.

Salary Range: $155,197 - $190,844

Benefits:

• Competitive salary
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Paid time off, company holidays, and sick leave