IT Manager

At Kepler Communications, we're not just imagining the future of on-demand space connectivity - we're leading it!

Our mission is to provide real-time on-orbit connectivity for critical missions, enabling a new era of data-driven intelligence and innovation. With 33 satellites launched to date, Kepler operates the first commercial optical data relay constellation, enabling real-time, continuous space communications while supporting advanced on-orbit compute and hosted payload capabilities.

Industry-leading technology is only part of the story.
What sets Kepler apart is our team: bold thinkers, skilled builders, and passionate problem-solvers who thrive on pushing the boundaries ofwhat'spossible in space. We believe great ideas come from diverse perspectives, andwe'recommitted to creating an environment where you can grow, lead, and make a global impact.

Ifyou'reready to reach higher, move faster, and do work that shapes the future space economy - this is your launchpad.
Come build the future with Kepler!

• * Competitive compensation
• * Comprehensive coverage for health, dental, and vision insurance - including dependents
• * Unlimited vacation, supportive parental leave policy, and company-wide holiday shutdown
• * Semi-annual company-wide parties and frequent in-office team events
• * Relocation packages available for approved roles
• * $1,500 annual professional development fund to support your growth
• * Fully stocked Toronto office kitchen with snacks, drinks, games and top-notch kitchen appliances
• * Town Halls, Celebration Calls, and Company-wide events to stay connected and engaged
• * We're a certified Great Place to Work, five years in a row

Kepler is seeking an experienced, hands-on IT Manager to lead its IT Operations team, spanning network administration, systems administration, Dev Ops, and IT support. You'll be accountable for the reliable, secure, and scalable operation of the technology environment that Kepler's engineers, operators, and mission systems depend on every day.

This is aplayer-coach role

You'll set priorities and develop the team, and you'll also be in the work with them, troubleshooting escalations, designing infrastructure, running incident response, and executing projects. You'll also need to learn quickly:
Kepler's environment spans on-premises infrastructure and public cloud, changes often, and no candidate arrives knowing every tool in it. What matters is that you can pick up an unfamiliar system fast enough to make sound decisions, evaluate trade-offs, and credibly support the specialists who own it.

Expected Time Breakdown:

• 35% - Team leadership and operational management
• 30% - Hands-on technical work and escalations
• 20% - Technical strategy and roadmap development
• 15% - Recruiting, onboarding, and administration

• Lead, mentor, and grow a cross-functional IT team that may include Network Administrators, Systems Administrators, Dev Ops Specialists, and IT Specialists, fostering a culture of accountability, documentation, and continuous learning that exemplifies Kepler's Values
• Provide ongoing coaching, technical guidance, and career development through regular 1:1s and structured performance reviews
• Work alongside the team as a technical contributor, leading through hands-on involvement rather than delegation alone, while growing the team's independence rather than becoming a bottleneck
• Serve as senior technical escalation point for complex incidents across networks, servers, cloud platforms, identity systems, Dev Ops tooling, and business-critical applications
• Own IT operations end to end: service delivery, prioritization, support quality, incident response, root-cause analysis, and after-hours escalation coverage
• Own the reliability, scalability, and lifecycle management of Kepler's infrastructure, including network operations, Linux and Windows systems, identity and access management, virtualization, AWS, monitoring, backups, and disaster recovery
• Drive Dev Ops practices and automation, including CI/CD, infrastructure as code, configuration management, containerization, and controls around production access, deployments, and secrets
• Lead IT security practices and technical controls, including privileged access, endpoint protection, network security, vulnerability remediation, patching, and system hardening; partner with Security and Legal on customer, contractual, and compliance requirements
• Develop and maintain the IT operations roadmap, balancing immediate operational needs against longer-term investment in reliability, security, and operational maturity
• Contribute to annual planning, budgeting, vendor management, and technology lifecycle planning, and guide make/buy decisions
• Ensure accurate technical documentation and provide regular reporting to senior leadership on service performance, infrastructure health, security posture, operational risks, and resource needs
• Support hiring plans, lead interviews, onboard new team members, and act as primary liaison between IT Operations…