Director, IT

About the Company

Cynch AI is a Series A business that has expanded revenue fourfold over the last year. The company creates specialized neuro-symbolic AI applications that help top accounting and tax professionals deliver high-quality financial services. Its team includes both remote and in-office employees, with offices in San Francisco, the South Bay, and the East Bay.

Role Overview

Cynch is hiring a senior IT leader to bring structure to a fragmented environment and create a stronger IT function focused on security, reliability, and long-term scalability. This is a very hands-on position that combines day-to-day support with ownership of compliance, infrastructure, and security priorities. You will be expected to design the approach and also execute it yourself, especially at the beginning when the function is effectively a one-person department.

Key Focus Areas

The position includes broad responsibilities ranging from help desk support and Shadow IT cleanup to Azure application management and the evaluation and rollout of SSO solutions. The successful candidate will shape how IT operates across the company for years to come.

What You'll Build

• Unify IT into a single company-wide function with clear ownership and accountability.
• Cut down on Shadow IT and bring consistency to tools and workflows.
• Decide the long-term operating model for IT, whether that means in-house hiring, MSP support, or a blended structure.
• Recruit and lead IT team members as the business expands.
• Own and evolve the IT roadmap.

Infrastructure and Operations

• Bring the identity stack under one coherent platform.
• Set up and run device management for both Mac and Windows fleets.
• Administer desktop tools, SaaS platforms, and Azure-based virtual applications.
• Manage vendors and keep the ecosystem organized.
• Improve the employee experience for onboarding and offboarding.
• Deliver dependable IT support for both remote staff and office-based teams.

Security and Compliance

• Strengthen identity management, access controls, and endpoint protection.
• Create and enforce practical security policies and controls.
• Work closely with engineering and company leadership on security practices.
• Help prepare the organization for SOC 2 readiness.

Success in the First 6 Months

• Complete a SOC 2 readiness gap assessment.
• Select and deploy a single identity platform across the business.
• Document onboarding and offboarding processes for remote, onsite, and hybrid employees.
• Put automated SCIM provisioning in place.
• Lower Shadow IT by reviewing existing SaaS tools and creating an approval and procurement workflow.
• Address additional priorities defined with executive leadership.

Work Model

The role is hybrid. It is expected to begin onsite, then transition to approximately three days per week in the office, with additional onsite time as needed based on tax season demands and technical requirements. The role can be based out of either the Pleasanton or Cupertino office.

Compensation

California salary range: $160,000 to $180,000 per year.

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with match, life insurance, and long-term disability coverage.

Requirements

• 10+ years of IT experience, including 3 years in people management, preferably in a startup or fast-growing environment.
• Strong comfort with both strategy and execution, including hands-on support work.
• Experience implementing identity platforms such as JumpCloud, Okta, Entra ID, or Google Workspace.
• Hands-on Azure experience beyond Entra ID, especially with app security and deployment.
• Experience managing Mac and Windows endpoints using MDM tools such as Jamf, Kandji, or Intune.
• Deep knowledge of SSO, MFA, SCIM provisioning, RBAC, and access lifecycle management.
• Experience helping a company get ready for SOC 2.
• Background managing SaaS environments, vendors, and reducing Shadow IT.
• Ability to automate workflows and integrations.
• Proven ability to impose structure in fast-moving, disorganized environments through standardization, documentation, and durable infrastructure.

Additional Information

This role is designed for someone who is comfortable being both the architect and the operator. Early on, the position is highly independent and influential, so the work will shape the company’s IT foundation for the long term.

About the Hiring Need

The company is looking for a senior manager-level IT leader who can bring order to a fragmented system landscape and create a secure, scalable, and well-run IT operation.