Manager of IT Engineering (USA)

About DroneDeploy DroneDeploy powers field teams with robotics and AI. As the only reality capture platform that combines robotic automation, AI agents, and a truly unified system, DroneDeploy allows critical industries to operate with speed and confidence. From construction and energy to agriculture, the world’s largest companies use DroneDeploy to simplify field operations, improve safety, and make smarter decisions, faster. By combining aerial drones, 360 and fixed cameras, ground robots and proprietary AI, we’re bringing the power of automation and visual intelligence to all stakeholders, from the field to the boardroom. At DroneDeploy, we thrive in a mostly remote-first culture rooted in innovation and impact. We’ve been recognized as a Best Place to Work in the SF Bay Area and named one of America’s Great Places to Work—but what truly sets us apart is the experience you gain: solving real-world challenges with cutting-edge technology, surrounded by teammates who are as passionate as they are supportive. Our team is bold, mission-driven, and building something that matters. We foster a culture where a variety of perspectives drive smart decisions, and where growth—both personal and professional—is part of the journey. Whether it’s flexible schedules, family-friendly benefits, or our strong track record of internal promotions, we invest in people as much as we do in product. If you’re looking to be part of something ambitious, authentic, and transformative, you’ll find your place at DroneDeploy. Role Overview DroneDeploy is hiring a Manager, IT Engineering to lead the function that keeps our distributed workforce productive, secure, and ready to scale. Reporting to senior leadership within Infrastructure and Security, this is a player-coach role responsible for leading two direct reports on the IT Engineering team. You will own core IT operations across identity and access management, SaaS administration, endpoint management, audit readiness, and internal tooling, while driving improvements in service quality, automation, and documentation. This role supports a remote-first workforce and plays a critical role in enabling employees to work securely and efficiently every day. You will lead day-to-day IT operations, guide roadmap execution aligned to company priorities, and help define what modern IT looks like inside an AI-native engineering organization. Work Environment Work from Home: Remote, US-only, Pacific hours favored for overlap with the existing team and cross-functional partners. Business Travel: Occasional domestic travel for training and company events. AI tooling: AI-native operations are required in this role; the hire is expected to use tools such as Cursor, Claude, Copilot, or equivalent in daily work, and to lead internal adoption of Cowork skills and MCP servers alongside core IT responsibilities. Responsibilities Lead the IT Engineering function as a player-coach, balancing hands-on execution with team leadership, prioritization, and operational rigor. Own IT support performance, including queue health, routing, service levels, and project execution for a distributed workforce. Own identity and SaaS lifecycle management across Okta, Google Workspace, Slack, and Atlassian, with a focus on low-touch onboarding and offboarding through SCIM and scripting. Manage the company’s macOS-heavy endpoint fleet through Iru or similar MDM tooling, maintaining secure device posture and compliance baselines. Drive the IT portion of SOC 2 and ISO 27001 readiness, including evidence collection, access reviews, control testing, and partnership on shared controls with Security Engineering. Lead internal AI tooling enablement for employees, including support for Claude Cowork, ownership of the org skills library, and rollout of MCP servers with sustainable operating controls. Manage SaaS renewals, access policies, and the IT budget surface area to improve cost efficiency and tooling effectiveness. Ensure policies, runbooks, and operating documentation are complete, current, and usable so the function scales consistently and remains audit-ready. Deliver clear first-year outcomes, including SLO attainment on response and resolution, reduced manual lifecycle work, broad Cowork skill adoption, four internal MCP server deployments, and clean SOC 2 / ISO audit cycles with no IT findings. Requirements 7+ years of IT or IT engineering experience, including hands-on work across identity, endpoint management, and SaaS administration. Experience leading others formally or informally, including mentoring, coordinating work, and raising operating standards across a small team. Hands-on experience with Okta or comparable identity platforms such as Entra or JumpCloud. Hands-on experience managing macOS fleets with Iru, Jamf, Kandji, or similar MDM tooling. Working knowledge of Google Workspace administration, Slack administration, and Atlassian administration. Scripting ability in Python, Bash, or Zsh, with a track record of building automation rather than relying only on admin-console work. Working knowledge of SOC 2 and ISO 27001 IT controls. Strong written communication and comfort operating in a highly distributed, documentation-heavy environment. Daily use of AI tools in real work, with clear examples of workflows, scripts, skills, or tools you have built or adopted meaningfully. Why Join DroneDeploy? Impact : You will own a critical function that directly shapes how employees across the company work, collaborate, and stay productive in a secure and scalable environment. Scope : This role spans support operations, identity, SaaS, endpoint posture, audits, internal AI tooling, vendor management, and documentation, giving you a broad surface area from day one. Build the future of IT : DroneDeploy has already deployed Claude Cowork company-wide, uses Glean in production, and is bringing MCP servers online; this role helps turn that momentum into durable systems and company-wide adoption. Growth : This is an excellent opportunity for a strong IT technical lead stepping into management or an early-career manager ready to take on broader ownership, with structured coaching from senior leadership and opportunities to expand into adjacent DevOps and Security functions as the organization evolves. Access : You will work closely with infrastructure and security leadership, partner across DevOps, Security Engineering, People Ops, Procurement, Engineering, Product, and GTM, and have meaningful visibility with senior R&D leadership. Culture : We value people who simplify complexity, follow through on commitments, and use new tools thoughtfully to create leverage for others. #LI-Remote Employee Offerings & Benefits (Benefits may vary by location and role) These are just some of the perks you'll enjoy—there's more to discover once you join us! Culture of Innovation & Collaboration – Thrive in an environment that values creativity and teamwork. Drone Certification – Get certified and gain unique, hands-on skills with our full backing. Flexible Work Arrangements – Enjoy autonomy with remote-first options and schedule flexibility. Paid Family Leave – Take the time you need to support your family during life’s most important moments. Comprehensive Healthcare Coverage – Plans designed to support your well-being. Career & Growth Development – Build new skills and unlock opportunities through continuous learning. Flexible PTO – Take time off when you need it to recharge—we trust you to manage your time well. Employee Referral Bonus – Know someone great? Refer them and earn a bonus when they join our team. ---- DroneDeploy is an equal opportunity employer. All DroneDeploy employees are responsible for protecting the company and customer data by following information security policies and procedures. Please refer to our Recruitment Privacy Notice for information about privacy during the recruiting process.