IT Lead

About the Role At River AI, we are building an entirely new kind of AI company. As we move quickly across research, engineering, product, hardware, legal, security, HR, and go-to-market, we need experienced IT leadership to ensure our technology infrastructure keeps pace with our growth. We are looking for an experienced, high agency, IT leader to oversee and implement all aspects of our information technology operations. You will manage and implement secure, scalable infrastructure; lead the IT function; implement best-in-class security practices; and ensure seamless technology enablement across all functions. You will manage our systems, network, applications, personnel hardware, disaster recovery, IT service delivery, and vendor relationships. You should be comfortable setting up cloud systems, responding to a security incident, building an IT support operation from scratch, or implementing enterprise systems, with familiarity in security-by-design and least-privileged access principles. Who we are At River AI, our mission is to create personal AI owned and shaped by each individual. To achieve this, we are building the full stack required for people and organizations to create AI models of their own - from training infrastructure and open-weight model post-training to personal hardware and next-generation interfaces. We are scientists, engineers, and builders from the industry's leading technology companies and AI labs. Our team has experience scaling consumer products to hundreds of millions of users and building the infrastructure behind frontier AI systems. What You'll Do • Lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of secure, scalable IT infrastructure supporting rapid organizational growth. • Enforce comprehensive security policies, compliance frameworks, and security incident response protocols. • Manage on-boarding of employee regarding their company devices and access to company systems and information. • Manage IT operations including cloud infrastructure, internet connection, network appliances, WAN, LAN, WAP, on-premises systems, and disaster recovery planning. • Oversee enterprise application management, IT service delivery, and support operations to ensure seamless technology enablement across all departments. • Evaluate, procure, and manage IT vendors and third-party services, negotiating contracts and ensuring service quality. • Implement identity and access management (IAM) systems, ensuring secure but frictionless user authentication and authorization. • Conduct IT audits, risk assessments, and testing to identify vulnerabilities and implement remediation strategies. • Develop IT budgets, forecasts, and business cases for technology investments and improvements. Skills & Qualifications Minimum Qualifications • 5+ years of IT experience at high growth companies. • Hands-on expertise with IT and HR management systems, MDM systems, network set-up and maintenance, and hybrid infrastructure management. • Experience handling compliance and cybersecurity issues with close coordination with engineering, legal, and HR teams. • Demonstrated success building and scaling IT functions in fast-paced, high-growth environments. • Strong technical foundation in IT and HR systems management, networking, and enterprise applications. • Experience managing IT budgets, vendor relationships, and technology procurement. • Excellent communication and leadership skills. • Strong judgment, problem-solving ability, and a bias toward action in complex technical environments. Preferred Qualifications • Experience with AI, machine learning, scientific computing, or other specialized technical workloads. • Background in hardware infrastructure or data center operations. • Knowledge of IT service management frameworks and best practices. • Startup or venture-backed company experience at scale-up stage. Logistics & Benefits • Location: Palo Alto, California (on-site, Monday-Friday) • Compensation: Depending on experience and skills, the expected base pay is $280,000–$360,000 USD per year, plus equity. • Benefits: Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance; unlimited PTO.