IT Operations Lead

Wave’s mission is to unite humanity through immersive 3d entertainment. Our vision is to be the live entertainment hub of the metaverse: a place where anyone can attend, perform live, or be a part of a 24/7 live entertainment community. No matter where or who you are, our platform welcomes you—joining on mobile, streaming a 2D social video, or immersing you in 3D VR. Virtual shows (“Waves”) are the heartbeat of our platform. Unlike other virtual experiences, Waves are unique because they happen live, enabling real-time interaction and connection between performers and audiences.

We're seeking an IT Operations Lead to oversee the technical infrastructure that powers our studio, live production systems, and development pipelines. You’ll be the primary owner of Wave’s IT environment — responsible for maintaining system stability, security, and performance across on-site and cloud environments. This includes managing everything from studio networks and Perforce servers to production workstations, VR rigs, and live performance systems.

This role is ideal for someone who’s as comfortable troubleshooting a workstation in the morning as they are designing long-term infrastructure strategy in the afternoon. You’ll have autonomy, high visibility, and a direct hand in the success of Wave’s creative and technical teams.

Please note: this is a direct hire, full time opportunity. We are not interested in C2C workers at this time nor are we working with third party recruiting agencies. Thank you for your understanding.

Responsibilities

• Infrastructure Ownership: Manage and evolve Wave’s IT ecosystem — including servers, storage, Perforce environments, studio workstations, and cloud integrations.
• Production Systems Support: Maintain and support the specialized hardware and software used in live VR concert production, including motion capture systems, render nodes, and streaming setups.
• Networking & Connectivity: Design, monitor, and maintain reliable, low-latency studio networks (LAN/WAN/Wi-Fi). Implement robust solutions to support real-time rendering and streaming pipelines.
• Perforce Administration: Oversee Perforce version control servers and workflows, ensuring efficient branching, replication, user permissions, and backups.
• Security & Access Management: Establish and enforce security best practices for credentials, data, and access control. Manage onboarding/offboarding and endpoint compliance.
• System Automation & Monitoring: Implement tools and scripts for automated deployment, patching, and performance monitoring to ensure proactive issue detection.
• Studio Support: Serve as the go-to person for IT and hardware support — from workstation setup to troubleshooting live production systems — providing excellent service to a team of artists, developers, and producers.
• Vendor & Asset Management: Manage IT hardware/software procurement, vendor relationships, and lifecycle tracking for studio assets.
• Documentation & Process Leadership: Create and maintain detailed documentation of systems, processes, and runbooks for studio IT. Develop scalable procedures as Wave continues to grow.
  

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience in systems administration or IT infrastructure roles, ideally in gaming, VR, VFX, or live production environments.
• Hands-on experience administering Perforce.
• Strong knowledge of Windows, macOS, and Linux environments and deployment tools.
• Advanced understanding of network design and troubleshooting (firewalls, VLANs, VPNs, DNS, DHCP, and Wi-Fi optimization).
• Experience supporting production and render systems, VR hardware, and media streaming workflows.
• Proficiency in scripting or automation (Python, PowerShell, or Bash).
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, creative, and operations teams.
• Proven ability to operate independently, prioritize effectively, and own projects from design to delivery.

Desired Qualifications

• Prior experience as the sole or lead IT resource at a fast-paced creative or production studio.
• Familiarity with Unreal Engine, virtual production tools, or similar real-time rendering systems.
• Experience with Ubiquiti or other enterprise-grade networking solutions.
• Familiarity with JIRA, Confluence, and Slack administration.

Salary Range: $100,000 - $140,000**

**Salaries at Wave are based on a few factors including a candidate's location (to account for any cost of living differences), their experience level and their performance during the interview process. On top of a cash salary we also include company equity in the form of stock options with every full time offer as well as other benefits (insurance, 401k, unlimited PTO, laptop/desktop and other IT equipment as needed, subsidized monthly home internet, etc). Salary ranges at Wave are determined based on the job requirements, experience level and market data attained from compensation surveys.