IT Manager in Chichester

This is a chance to own IT end to end at a fast-growing, engineering-led company. sees.ai is hiring its first in-house IT Manager. Whether you're a strong IT engineer ready to step up and own IT for the first time, or an experienced IT leader who wants to get back to hands-on work with real technical texture, this is a role you can grow into and shape.

What matters most isn't knowing every tool on the list — it's being smart, curious, and able to figure things out, because in a company like ours the landscape keeps changing. sees.ai collects close visual inspection data for critical national infrastructure operators, pioneering the safe, routine BVLOS UAS operations behind it — with technology built end-to-end in-house. We're already operating at scale with National Grid and expanding internationally across Europe. As we scale fast, the systems you build and run will directly enable that growth.

The Role

IT today is run across our engineering team and an outsourced provider. You'll be the first person to own it properly — taking what's already in place and shaping where it goes as we scale. You'll be the single point of contact for IT across the business, with the autonomy to set priorities, improve how things are done, and bring in the right tools and partners as the company grows.

You won't be expected to do all of it single-handedly and expertly from day one; you'll be expected to own it, and to grow the function around what the business needs. Part of what makes this role unusual is where standard corporate IT meets the non-standard: alongside the usual cloud-first stack, you'll get exposure to the bespoke networking and infrastructure in our UAS and vehicles — a genuinely interesting environment you won't find in most IT roles.

What You'll Own

• Support and experience: first-line support across macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, and the onboarding, device setup and access that make joining sees.ai smooth.
• Identity and access: SSO, RBAC and the joiners/movers/leavers lifecycle, administered cleanly and securely.
• Security: monitoring, alerting and patching; responding to incidents methodically; running a zero-trust network environment.
• Systems and tooling: administering our SaaS stack (Google Workspace, Slack, Notion and the like), and continuously improving systems, tooling and process.
• Operational infrastructure: supporting the non-standard networking and systems that connect to our real-world UAS and vehicle operations.
• Standards and documentation: building the documentation and processes that make IT repeatable, and driving cybersecurity best practice toward standards such as ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials.

Who You Are

This role carries broad access across company systems — identity, network, communications, HR and finance — so trust and judgement matter as much as technical skill. You are:

• Smart and curious — you can pick up unfamiliar territory quickly and work things out, rather than needing to have seen it all before.
• An owner — you take problems end to end and see them through without waiting to be told.
• Self-sufficient — you can prioritise and deliver without close oversight or a large team behind you.
• Methodical — you diagnose calmly, document as you go, and stay structured under pressure, especially during incidents.
• Trustworthy and discreet — comfortable holding sensitive systems and data.
• A clear communicator — able to support non-technical colleagues well.

The one thing we do look for is a genuine feel for Linux (Ubuntu), whether from professional use or real enthusiasm — it runs our IT estate and the systems on our UAS and ground control stations, so it's central to operations here. You'll also be comfortable supporting Macs and Windows machines day to day.

Helpful, but not required

None of these are barriers to applying — they're areas you could bring or grow into:

• Experience with identity platforms (JumpCloud, Okta or similar)
• SIEM tools, security monitoring and patch management
• MDM tools (Jamf, Intune or similar)
• GCP or other cloud infrastructure (IAM, logging, access controls)
• Networking fundamentals (VPNs, routing, firewalls)
• Kubernetes or modern infrastructure tooling
• Experience in a startup or scaling company

The Offer

Be our first dedicated IT hire, with real ownership of how IT is run and evolved, and the chance to learn and grow into a broad, developing remit. Join a company at a stage where your work directly shapes how it scales, with visible impact across the whole business. Work from our West Lavant site in the South Downs — a unique environment with excellent on-site facilities (gym, pool, tennis courts, café, and more). A competitive salary and our EMI share option scheme.