IT Team Lead

We’re a global team of over 400 people, working together to push the boundaries of open-source technology and multi-cloud solutions. Our vision is to help developers, builders, and creators bring their ideas to life with speed and simplicity, by providing a cloud data platform that makes open-source databases, search, streaming, and application infrastructure easily accessible to everyone. We are now looking for a proactive IT Team Lead to run our global IT team, manage daily technical operations, and enhance AI opportunities across the team’s day-to-day tasks. Aiven extensively utilizes cloud services, and you will play a key role in both selecting and rolling out the best cloud tools for our needs. In this role, you won't just orchestrate from the sidelines—you will be actively hands-on with daily tasks, ranging from smooth employee onboarding to directly supporting our staff and troubleshooting issues when needed. Additionally, you will negotiate with the best global vendors and partners to support our growth and mobility all over the world. We are looking for a self-driven person with a true can-do attitude who is equally comfortable leading strategy and rolling up their sleeves. We value a genuine willingness to help others, strong team leadership skills, and the ability to make swift decisions. You know how to support a team to achieve its goals while personally ensuring our employees' journey is effortless with functional equipment and access. What You'll Do Lead, Inspire & Participate: Mentor and manage our global IT team while actively participating in daily operational workloads alongside them. Hands-on Support & Operations: Take a practical role in daily IT operations, ensuring seamless end-to-end employee lifecycle management (from hands-on onboarding setups and hardware provisioning to offboarding). Drive Strategic & Practical IT Initiatives: Lead end-to-end global IT projects, from high-level infrastructure modernization to the practical scaling and deployment of our internal toolstack. Architect the AI-First Workplace: Develop and implement innovative, practical ways of working with AI to eliminate manual toil and boost organizational velocity. Own the Employee Digital Experience: Design, manage, and troubleshoot a seamless digital environment for our employees, ensuring technology acts as a functional, invisible enabler. Vendor & Lifecycle Management: Lead contract negotiations, manage global vendor relationships, and practically oversee software licenses and hardware assets. Requirements Key requirements for success in this role include: Minimum 3-5 years in a leadership role within a high-growth tech environment. Proven experience implementing AI/Automation tools (LLMs, Zapier, Python scripts, or similar) to solve business problems. Deep familiarity with modern MDM (Kandji, Jamf, Intune) and Identity (Okta) focused on automation. A "Get it Done" attitude—you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty while building the long-term strategy. Experience in an IT desktop support role Good generic IT skills (cloud software, networking, troubleshooting) Good Mac and Windows skills Good understanding of IT security Fluency in English, verbal and written, Finnish is a plus Experience in Google G Suite/Workspace administration Mobile Device Management platform experience (JAMF, Workspace One, Kandji, etc.) iOS, Android and Windows/Azure Active Directory experience Capable of thriving in a remote work environment with guidance and assistance from team located across the world Experience with providing onboarding training both in person and remotely Preferred Skills (not required but nice to have!) If you’ve got these skills, it could benefit you in day-to-day work: SaaS (Software as a Service) or PaaS (Platform as a Service) management experience Chromebook/ChromeOS experience Linux experience (Fedora is most commonly used/supported) Amazing! What’s next: If you think Aiven is the place for you and that our Values align with yours, send us your resume and we’ll get in touch! Global Benefits: Our global benefits are designed to help you thrive and grow, personally and professionally: Participate in Aiven’s equity plan. Balance work and life with our hybrid work policy. Choose the equipment you need to set yourself up for success. Use your Professional Development Plan budget for learning opportunities. Receive holistic wellbeing support through our global Employee Assistance Program. Inquire about our Global Time Off Commitment (Parental and Sick Leave, as well as Personal Time) Enjoy country-specific benefits for our global cast. How to Recognize and Avoid Employment Scams: There has been a rise in fake job postings used by scammers to get personal information. At Aiven, all of our emails relating to recruitment come from an @aiven.io, @greenhouse.io or @eu.greenhouse.io domain and all of our interviews are conducted by video call or in person. Our interviews will never occur via text or chat. If you’re unsure of the legitimacy of a job opportunity/offer pertaining to Aiven, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. Equal Opportunities: Aiven provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for employment without regard to age, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, marital and family status or without regard to any other similar personal attributes. Aiven complies with applicable local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company operates. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, training and any other terms and conditions related to employment. At Aiven we are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities or special needs in our working environment and job application procedures. We make all reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or who otherwise need support to thrive in the workplace. We are committed to continuously improving workplace accessibility. There is an option to request a discussion in the application process but if you have any questions before applying please write to us at [email protected] . #LI-Hybrid