HEAD OF IT
Freeform builds AI-native manufacturing systems that unify software, hardware, and physics to produce industrial-scale parts at the speed of human ideation. By treating manufacturing as a single integrated system, we unlock a new era of innovation where complex hardware is designed, built, and scaled without limits.
In this role, you will report directly to the CEO and own the technology infrastructure behind Freeform: the data centers and cloud platforms that run our factories, the networks and security that protect them, and the corporate IT that keeps our people productive. You will set the IT strategy and be accountable to the executive team for uptime, security, and compliance. Your most immediate priority is the infrastructure and dedicated data center for our new manufacturing facility, which becomes the blueprint as we deploy factories around the world. The many petabytes of data our factories generate are a core advantage, and the systems that capture, store, and protect it are part of the product.
All leadership roles at Freeform are technical in nature. You will spend a significant portion of your time hands-on, making architecture calls, reviewing designs, and building alongside the team while you run
Responsibilities:
Set the IT and infrastructure strategy and roadmap, tied to Freeform’s factory expansion, and present it to the executive team
Architect, build, and commission the infrastructure and dedicated data center for our new facility, including power, cooling, compute, storage, network, and edge-compute on the factory floor, as a repeatable blueprint for future factories
Own storage and compute for petabyte-scale physics and process data, including high-bandwidth interconnects
Own the Kubernetes and virtualization platforms, on-prem and in the cloud
Own network architecture across all sites, including segmentation between corporate, server, OT, and guest zones
Build and run the security program: controls, monitoring, incident response, audits, and vulnerability management
Own compliance with NIST 800-171, CMMC, and ITAR, and serve as the point of accountability for IT-related audits and customer security reviews
Ensure high availability, disaster recovery, and business continuity for systems that drive production
Run corporate IT alongside engineering infrastructure, including identity and access, endpoints, and collaboration tools
Own the IT budget and make the build-vs-buy and on-prem-vs-cloud calls that keep infrastructure cost-efficient as we scale
Select and manage vendors, hardware suppliers, and cloud providers, and set IT policies, standards, and change management
Report on availability, risk, and security posture to executive leadership
Stay hands-on: review designs, make architecture calls, and build and troubleshoot alongside the team
Lead and mentor the IT team, and plan, hire, and build the organization as Freeform scales, setting its priorities and a culture of ownership and continuous improvement
Basic Qualifications:
12+ years of enterprise IT and infrastructure experience, including 2+ years leading IT or infrastructure teams, with current hands-on technical skills
Data center infrastructure experience across compute, storage, and networking
Strong knowledge of both on-premises and cloud infrastructure
Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, on-prem and in the cloud
Deep expertise in Linux-based infrastructure
A track record of owning an IT budget, setting strategy, and managing vendors, with experience reporting to senior executives
Nice to Have:
Experience as the first IT leader at a startup or high-growth company, building the function from a small team
Experience building or commissioning a data center, including edge compute for hardware-centric or manufacturing operations
Experience with OT/ICS environments and securing factory networks
Experience with high-speed data and high-bandwidth interconnects such as InfiniBand
Experience leading an organization through NIST 800-171,…