IT Systems Administrator
The mission of the IT Systems Administrator is to establish, run, and own IT. You'll be responsible for supporting our people onsite and building a US IT environment.
About Blackwave
Blackwave designs, manufactures and ships flight-qualified, commercial off-the-shelf composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) for launch vehicles and satellites. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Munich, Germany, the company delivers COPVs from a standardized portfolio with flight heritage. The approach reduces lead time from months to days while ensuring that each tank is qualified and flight-ready. Blackwave's mission is to end COPV failure in spaceflight. The company employs more than 150 people across manufacturing facilities in Germany and Texas.
More information at Blackwave.com and the procurement platform COPV.com.
Expected Outcomes
A successful IT Systems Administrator will:
Own onsite support and the full user lifecycle within the first 90 days
Reduce the MSP to an escalation role within 6 months, with runbooks, assets and documentation owned internally
Have ITAR and Technology Control Plan (TCP) controls live within 6 months, covering access, segmentation, logging and evidence
Deliver defined SLAs, patch compliance above 95%, tested backups and an incident response playbook within 12 months
Have site and shop floor IT ready for production ramp up by Q4 2027
Key Responsibilities
Serve as the onsite owner of IT support, taking tickets from intake through resolution
Administer Microsoft 365, Entra ID and Intune for a dedicated US tenant
Design, operate and secure the site network, including firewall, VLANs, WiFi and VPN
Deploy, manage and support Windows and Mac endpoints and hardware
Implement and maintain ITAR and NIST 800‑171 aligned controls and keep audit evidence current
Manage the MSP relationship, hold the provider to agreed SLAs and transfer ownership in house
Write runbooks, standardize configurations and automate recurring work with PowerShell
Plan IT for the site buildout and shop floor, including future OT environments
Coordinate asynchronously with the Digital Infrastructure team in Germany
Competencies
Technical Know-How
Microsoft 365, Entra ID and Intune administration (required); GCC High experience (nice to have)
Networking: firewalls, VLANs, WiFi and VPN (required)
Windows and Mac endpoint and hardware support (required)
PowerShell scripting and automation (required)
Hands on implementation of ITAR, NIST 800‑171 or CMMC controls (strongly preferred)
AWS GovCloud or OT environments (nice to have)
Professional and Personal Skills
Takes full ownership of tickets and sees issues through to resolution
Builder mindset: documents, standardizes and automates
Disciplined about compliance, controls and evidence
Hands on and low ego, equally comfortable at the desk and on the shop floor
Holds vendors and the MSP accountable for results
Communicates clearly and works well asynchronously with a team in Germany
Required Qualifications
Education and Experience
Experience in IT systems administration, MSP engineering, manufacturing or defense IT, or military IT
Experience working with or managing a managed service provider
Willingness to complete a background check and, if required, a security clearance
Preferred Qualifications
Prior experience as the sole or first IT person at a site or company
Background in NewSpace, aerospace, defense or advanced manufacturing
Language Skills
English is required (fluent)
Work Model
On-site presence is required
Our facility is located in the Port San Antonio aerospace hub
Equal Opportunity Employer
Blackwave Texas Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected characteristics under applicable law.
ITAR Requirement
This position requires eligibility under U.S. export regulations (ITAR). Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or otherwise authorized to access export-controlled information.
For this U.S.-based role, your application may be managed by our global People Team in Germany.
- Department
- Infrastructure
- Location
- San Antonio TX
San Antonio TX
Our Perks & Benefits
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🏄🏻♀️ 15 days paid vacation
We value that you get more time with your family and friends. Therefore we offer everybody 15 days paid vacation plus federal holidays.
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🏥 Health Plan included
Health matters, and we've got you covered. You are eligible to participate in our health plan. We cover up to 75% of premium plans. Dental and Vision insurance on top.
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Regular social & team events 🕺
On a monthly basis, we celebrate our successes as a team.
Workplace, Culture & Diversity
Corporate culture is essential to allow the organization to differentiate itself. In terms of image on the one hand, it has strengths both internally and externally to consumers. It is indeed a source of cohesion and motivation of employees and it limits conflicts. With customers, it conveys a positive image and can develop a feeling of closeness to the company or even become a criterion of choice.