IT & Systems Manager

Description

Title: IT & Systems Manager

Reports to: Chief IT Officer

Location: Kent, WA

ABOUT BUYWANDER

BuyWander is rebuilding the $850B retail returns industry - turning chaotic truckloads of returned goods into a fast, fun, treasure-hunt shopping experience powered by AI, real-time auctions, and in-store pickup.

OUR CULTURE

Happy - We bring positive energy to our work and support each other.

Humble - We stay grounded, open to learning, and focused on the team over ego.

High Performing - We set a high bar and hold ourselves accountable to results.

(H)Loyal - We show up for each other and the company, with loyalty that goes beyond the ordinary.

We're scaling fast: multiple sites, a growing workforce, and new locations opening on a tight clock. Right now, IT and internal systems are handled piecemeal across Dev, Ops, HR, and Finance. That doesn't scale - and it's why this role exists.

THE ROLE

We're hiring our first IT & Systems Manager to own how BuyWander runs internally from the laptop a new hire opens on day one to the network, security, and business systems that keep every site operating.

This is a hands-on, build-it-from-scratch role. You'll start as a one-person function, bring order to work that's currently scattered across teams, and build the systems (and eventually the team) to support a company heading toward 1,000+ employees across many locations.

You'll own two sides of the house:

• Core IT & Infrastructure - devices, identity, networks, and physical security across every site.
• Internal Systems & Business Applications - the tools that run HR, recruiting, and document management, which you'll evaluate, integrate, and manage (building with engineering when something custom is truly needed).

You won't inherit clean systems. You'll create them.

We're looking for someone who is:

• A hands-on operator - you'd rather fix it than file a ticket about it
• A systems thinker - you design for scale, not just today's problem
• Pragmatic on build-vs-buy - you know when to configure a tool, integrate a vendor, or call in engineering
• Security-minded - you treat access, data, and physical security as first-class

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

Devices & Endpoint Management

• Own procurement and lifecycle of laptops, phones, and tablets across all sites
• Run mobile device management (Google Endpoint Management and equivalents) - enrollment, policy, security, wipe
• Stand up tablets as Paylocity kiosks and other floor devices

Identity & Access Management

• Own user provisioning and deprovisioning across Google Workspace / BuyWander email and internal applications
• Standardize onboarding/offboarding so access is fast, correct, and revoked on exit
• Enforce least-privilege access and clean account hygiene as headcount grows

Network & Physical Security (per site)

• Own IT design for each building - cabling, access points, cameras, access control
• Set up and administer security systems across all sites
• Interface with ISPs and vendors: contracts, provisioning, troubleshooting, SLAs
• Lock down security and access control

Site Buildout & Expansion

• Make opening a new location a repeatable playbook, not a fire drill - network, devices, security, accounts, day-one readiness
• Partner with Ops and Expansion to hit aggressive site-launch timelines

Internal Systems & Business Applications

• Own the roadmap for the tools that run the company, evaluating, integrating, and managing vendors for:
  • Secure document management - enterprise-grade storage and retention that scales beyond ad-hoc Google Docs, organized by employee/process, with the right resilience and access controls (a top priority)
  • Recruiting - an actionable recruiting dashboard that pulls resumes from multiple sources into one place, going beyond what Paylocity offers today
  • HR self-service - an HR chatbot / FAQ and related employee-facing tooling, benefits self administration
  • Automation - reduce manual, repetitive work across HR, IT, and Ops
• Partner with HR, Ops, Finance, and Engineering to prioritize and implement; bring in engineering only where custom work is genuinely required

Security, Data & Compliance

• Own IT and information security fundamentals: endpoint security, access, backups, incident response
• Ensure secure handling and storage of sensitive HR and company data
• Build the policies and controls a growing, multi-site company needs

Scale the Function

• Start hands-on and solo; establish standards, documentation, and vendor relationships
• Build and lead the IT team as the company and site count grow

HR & Business Systems Administration

• Serve as the technical administrator for Paylocity and other HR/business systems - user access, configuration, integrations, time & attendance kiosks, and vendor management
• Own the data flows between systems (e.g., feeding the recruiting dashboard from Paylocity and other sources)
• Own the systems and the plumbing; HR owns payroll, benefits, and the HR processes themselves

Requirements

WHAT YOU BRING

• 5+ years in IT management, IT operations, or systems administration - ideally in multi-site, high-growth, or physical-operations environments. Background check required.
• Hands-on strength with endpoint/device management (MDM), Google Workspace administration, and identity/access management
• Experience designing and running site IT and physical security - networks, access points, cameras, access control
• A track record of evaluating, selecting, integrating, and managing SaaS/business systems (HR, recruiting, document management, etc.) and the vendors behind them
• Strong build-vs-buy judgment and the pragmatism to know when to loop in engineering
• Security- and compliance-minded, especially with sensitive employee data
• Comfortable being the whole function today and building the team tomorrow
• Excellent partner to non-technical stakeholders across Ops, HR, and Finance
• Hands-on administration of an HRIS/business platform (Paylocity or similar) - access, configuration, integrations, and vendor management (not HR process ownership)

Physical Requirements

• This is primarily a desk-based analytical role. It includes periodic time on the store floor to observe processing and inventory flow, and occasional travel to our markets.
• Position requires seeing, hearing, use of hands and fingers, sitting, standing, walking, reaching, twisting, turning, kneeling, bending, squatting and stooping in the performance of daily activities.
• Must be able to communicate with others including talking, hearing, and listening and exchanging communication.
• Ability to work at a fast pace in a goal-driven environment.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WHY THIS ROLE IS DIFFERENT

Most IT manager roles inherit a mature function and keep it running. This one is 0 to 1.

You'll define how a fast-scaling, multi-site company runs internally - and you'll own both the physical/infrastructure side and the systems that HR, recruiting, and operations depend on. You'll report directly to the CTO, have real autonomy, and build the function (and team) from the ground up.

BENEFITS

• Competitive salary + performance bonuses
• Meaningful equity in a category-defining company
• Health, Vision & Dental Insurance
• Accrued Sick Benefits
• Unlimited Vacation Benefit
• Annual Company Offsites
• 401K

BuyWander is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We make employment decisions based on qualifications, skills, merit, and business needs. We believe a range of skills, perspectives, and experiences strengthens our team and supports better outcomes for our employees and customers.