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Join Our Mission to Advance Quantum Communication in Space

At Quantum Technology Laboratories GmbH (qtlabs), we develop quantum key distribution systems and optoelectronic solutions for space and terrestrial applications. Based in Vienna, our engineers and scientists work on technologies for secure global communication.

Build and defend the IT backbone of a growing deep-tech scale-up.

The Role

We are looking for a technically strong, pragmatic and ownership-driven Head of IT who will take overall responsibility for qtlabs’ corporate IT and the shared infrastructure supporting our engineering teams.

You will own the IT architecture, operating model, budget and technology roadmap. Your task is to ensure that our systems remain reliable and secure as our teams, laboratories and development activities grow.

This is a leadership role reporting directly to the C-Level management with substantial technical involvement. You will set direction, make architecture and investment decisions, lead an internal team and step into complex technical issues when needed.

You will work closely with engineering teams, management, external service providers and our CISO. You will provide and govern the shared IT foundations on which our engineering teams depend, while translating security and compliance requirements into workable technical controls.

What You Will Own

IT strategy and architecture

  • Define and execute a pragmatic IT roadmap aligned with company growth, engineering needs, risk and available resources.
  • Own the architecture and lifecycle of our hybrid IT environment, including on-premises systems, cloud services, networks, identity and workplace technology.
  • Evaluate technology choices and make clear recommendations on cost, reliability, security and maintainability.

Engineering IT

  • Provide reliable and secure shared infrastructure for software development, technical laboratories and engineering collaboration.
  • Work with engineering owners to define responsibilities for development servers, repositories, CI/CD services, specialist workstations, laboratory networks and related tools.
  • Protect engineering data and intellectual property through appropriate access controls, segmentation, backup and recovery.

Operations and service delivery

  • Ensure stable operation of core IT services and effective support for employees.
  • Establish clear processes for incidents, changes, onboarding and offboarding, asset management and technical documentation.
  • Identify recurring problems and improve services through root-cause analysis, standardisation and automation.

Security, resilience and audit readiness

  • Implement and maintain the IT controls required by qtlabs’ security policies and ISO 27001 management system in coordination with our CISO.
  • Own the operational response to incidents affecting corporate and shared engineering IT, with clear escalation to the CISO, management and affected engineering owners.
  • Maintain appropriate backup, tested recovery procedures and IT business-continuity capabilities for critical services.
  • Provide reliable operational evidence for audits and assessments, including access reviews, system changes and control effectiveness.

Leadership and commercial ownership

  • Lead and develop the internal IT team and coordinate external service providers.
  • Own IT budget planning, purchasing priorities, supplier performance, contracts and licence costs.
  • Communicate priorities, decisions and material risks clearly to management and internal stakeholders.

Your Profile

You are technically credible, structured and ownership-driven. You can lead people, make sound decisions with incomplete information and explain technical trade-offs to engineers and management.

  • Proven experience leading an IT or infrastructure team and managing external providers (5+ years).
  • Strong experience with hybrid IT operations, networks, Microsoft 365, identity and endpoint management; comfortable in Apple and Linux environments.
  • Practical understanding of routing, VPNs, network segmentation, system administration, patching and hardening.
  • Experience owning incidents, investigating root causes and improving operational processes.
  • Experience planning IT budgets and managing vendors.
    - Practical experience implementing IT controls in an ISO 27001 environment, preparing operational audit evidence and working with security or compliance stakeholders.
    - Ability to support development and laboratory environments while agreeing clear interfaces with the engineers who own specialist systems.
  • Strong prioritisation skills and clear, pragmatic communication.
  • Fluent English; German is an advantage.

Nice-to-Have:  

  • Automation using PowerShell, Bash or configuration-management tools.
  • Experience with Git, CI/CD services, virtualisation, containers or other development infrastructure.
  • Familiarity with SIEM/EDR tools and cloud infrastructure.
  • Experience with additional regulatory or customer security requirements, including NIS2 where relevant.

What we offer

  • A rare opportunity to shape the IT foundations of a growing deep-tech company.
  • High ownership and autonomy, with direct collaboration across management and engineering.
  • A highly competent, engineering-driven environment and security-critical technology with real-world impact.
  • A modern workspace with hybrid working options.
  • A friendly, humorous team and great Italian espresso.

The minimum gross salary for this position is €4,208.81 per month on a full-time basis, in accordance with the applicable collective agreement. The actual compensation will be above this minimum and will reflect the candidate’s experience and qualifications.

Quantum Technology Laboratories GmbH is an equal opportunity employer. We value different backgrounds and are committed to an inclusive workplace.

We are engineers, scientists and builders. We respect substance over titles. If you want to build reliable and secure IT that helps ambitious engineering teams do their best work, we would like to speak with you.

Apply now and help shape the future of secure global communication.