IT Specialist

Apply Job Type Full-time Description IT Specialist Full-Time, Exempt • Remote • Reports to CFO • Blake’s Beverage Company Who We Are & About This Role THE RISING TIDE LIFTS MORE GLASSES. When the apples align, greatness emerges – Introducing Blake’s Beverage Co., a force born from the union of Avid Cider Co., Blake’s Hard Cider, and Austin Eastciders. Our united mission: To reclaim cider’s rightful place as America’s drink. With a passion for bold, fruit-forward flavors, we craft beverages that resonate with a diverse audience. Fresh ingredients, a commitment to craft, and a rich 78-year history of family farming fuel our relentless dedication to the cider cause. With our feet firmly grounded in the soils of MI, TX, OR, and NY, we press on. The IT Specialist is the technology backbone of Blake’s Beverage Company — the single point of accountability for helpdesk support, systems reliability, hardware inventory, and onboarding across a distributed, remote-first team. This isn’t a ticket-queue role. It’s a build-it, own-it position for someone who wants to shape how a growing company runs. If you’ve been the person everyone goes to when something breaks, built a process where there was none, and actually get excited about what AI can do for a team — we want to hear from you. Your Role With Blake’s — Key Responsibilities Helpdesk & End-User Support Serve as the primary point of contact for all IT support needs across the organization — hardware, software, connectivity, and access Triage, prioritize, and resolve tickets with urgency and clear communication; set expectations and close the loop every time Support a geographically distributed team operating across MI, TX, OR, and NY — remote-first troubleshooting is the baseline Coverage extends across North America; ability to support teammates across time zones is expected Maintain documentation on known issues, resolutions, and system configurations so knowledge doesn’t walk out the door IT Inventory & Asset Management Own the full hardware lifecycle: procurement, provisioning, tracking, maintenance, and decommission Maintain an accurate, up-to-date inventory of all company devices, peripherals, and software licenses Identify gaps and cost-saving opportunities; make recommendations and manage vendor relationships Ensure every team member has what they need to do their job from day one New Hire IT Onboarding Design and run the IT onboarding experience for every new hire — account setup, device provisioning, access management, and orientation Build scalable, repeatable onboarding processes that reduce time-to-productivity and eliminate friction Coordinate with HR and department leads to ensure onboarding timelines are met without exception Continuously improve the program based on feedback and evolving business needs AI Tools & Claude Integration Serve as the internal champion for Claude and Claude Code — supporting adoption, training colleagues, and identifying high-value use cases across teams Leverage Claude Code to automate repetitive IT workflows, build internal tools, and reduce manual overhead Stay current on the evolving AI tooling landscape and bring recommendations to leadership on what’s worth adopting Help the broader team get comfortable and confident using AI tools in their day-to-day work Systems, Security & Infrastructure Administer core SaaS platforms (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, NetSuite integrations, and others as applicable) Manage user accounts, permissions, and access controls with a security-first mindset Monitor system health, flag risks proactively, and implement solutions before they become outages Maintain basic network and endpoint security standards across a remote workforce SharePoint & Intranet Management Own the BBC SharePoint environment: structure, permissions, document libraries, and navigation so it functions as a real company intranet, not a file dump Partner with department leads to build and maintain team sites that are actually used Drive adoption across the organization through training, templates, and ongoing refinement Establish governance standards for document naming, storage, and version control Vendor & License Management Own the full SaaS and software stack: renewals, redundancies, cost optimization, and right-sizing licenses to actual headcount Manage vendor relationships and hold them accountable to SLAs Identify and eliminate tool sprawl; consolidate where it makes sense and document what stays Offboarding & Access Revocation Own the IT offboarding process: account deprovisioning, device retrieval, license reclamation, and access revocation across all platforms Ensure no access persists beyond an employee’s last day — this is a security requirement, not a courtesy Maintain a clean, auditable offboarding checklist and run it consistently every time Microsoft Teams & M365 Collaboration Administer Microsoft Teams as the company’s primary communications platform: channel structure, permissions, meeting policies, and integrations Manage the full Microsoft 365 tenant including Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams governance Support colleagues on effective use of M365 tools; reduce reliance on email where collaboration tools serve better Stay current on M365 roadmap updates and evaluate new capabilities worth adopting IT Policy, Documentation & Security Awareness Write, maintain, and enforce IT policies: acceptable use, password standards, data retention, and device requirements for remote workers Run a basic security awareness program — phishing simulations, training cadence, and endpoint compliance monitoring Ensure endpoint security standards are met across a fully remote workforce; own the MDM or device management tooling Build and maintain a runbook of critical IT processes so nothing lives only in your head What Great Looks Like — Qualifications Required 5+ years of experience in an IT support, systems administration, or IT generalist role Hands-on experience with helpdesk operations — you’ve owned the queue and built the process Demonstrated experience with Claude and Claude Code — you use AI tools in your actual workflow, not just on your resume Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365, device management (Windows/Mac), and SaaS administration Experience managing hardware inventory and the full asset lifecycle Comfortable designing and running IT onboarding programs for a remote workforce Self-directed and highly organized — this role operates without a team beneath it; you need to bring the structure Clear, patient communicator who can translate technical issues for non-technical colleagues Preferred Experience supporting a multi-state, remote-first organization Familiarity with NetSuite or similar ERP platforms Experience in a remote-first, high-growth company where technology and processes are evolving fast — you’re comfortable with change and help others navigate it Working knowledge of endpoint security tools and basic network administration Experience building internal tools or automations using Claude Code or similar scripting environments What’s Next — How to Apply Don’t just send a resume into a void. Reach out on LinkedIn, show us something you’ve built, tell us how you use AI in your work — show us you want in. We can’t wait to meet the right person. Blake’s Beverage Company is an equal opportunity employer.