---
title: 'IT Manager at Kepler Communications'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/it-manager-kepler-communications-toronto-cyss6exp9q8v'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-26'
---

# IT Manager at Kepler Communications

- **Company:** Kepler Communications
- **Location:** Toronto, Canada
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-07-29
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-26
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/kepler/c2075b73-6162-45a6-8a6c-23937c415963

## Job description

At Kepler Communications, we're not just imagining the future of on-demand space connectivity - we're leading it! Our mission is to provide real-time on-orbit connectivity for critical missions, enabling a new era of data-driven intelligence and innovation. With 33 satellites launched to date, Kepler operates the first commercial optical data relay constellation, enabling real-time, continuous space communications while supporting advanced on-orbit compute and hosted payload capabilities. Industry-leading technology is only part of the story. What sets Kepler apart is our team: bold thinkers, skilled builders, and passionate problem-solvers who thrive on pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space. We believe great ideas come from diverse perspectives, and we’re committed to creating an environment where you can grow, lead, and make a global impact.

If you’re ready to reach higher, move faster, and do work that shapes the future space economy - this is your launchpad. Come build the future with Kepler!

What We Offer:

- Competitive compensation with a robust equity plan to share in our success.
- Comprehensive coverage for health, dental, and vision insurance—including dependents.
- Unlimited vacation, supportive parental leave policy, and company-wide holiday shutdown.
- Semi-annual company-wide parties and frequent in-office team events.
- Relocation packages available for approved roles.
- $1,500 annual professional development fund to support your growth.
- Fully stocked Toronto office kitchen with snacks, drinks, games and top-notch kitchen appliances.
- Town Halls, Celebration Calls, and Company-wide events to stay connected and engaged.
- We’re a certified Great Place to Work®, seven years in a row!

Kepler is seeking an experienced, hands-on IT Manager to lead its IT Operations team, spanning network administration, systems administration, DevOps, and IT support. You'll be accountable for the reliable, secure, and scalable operation of the technology environment that Kepler's engineers, operators, and mission systems depend on every day. This is a player-coach role. You'll set priorities and develop the team, and you'll also be in the work with them, troubleshooting escalations, designing infrastructure, running incident response, and executing projects. You'll also need to learn quickly: Kepler's environment spans on-premises infrastructure and public cloud, changes often, and no candidate arrives knowing every tool in it. What matters is that you can pick up an unfamiliar system fast enough to make sound decisions, evaluate trade-offs, and credibly support the specialists who own it. Expected Time Breakdown: 35% - Team leadership and operational management 30% - Hands-on technical work and escalations 20% - Technical strategy and roadmap development 15% - Recruiting, onboarding, and administration

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead, mentor, and grow a cross-functional IT team that may include Network Administrators, Systems Administrators, DevOps Specialists, and IT Specialists, fostering a culture of accountability, documentation, and continuous learning that exemplifies Kepler's Values

- Provide ongoing coaching, technical guidance, and career development through regular 1:1s and structured performance reviews

- Work alongside the team as a technical contributor, leading through hands-on involvement rather than delegation alone, while growing the team's independence rather than becoming a bottleneck

- Serve as senior technical escalation point for complex incidents across networks, servers, cloud platforms, identity systems, DevOps tooling, and business-critical applications

- Own IT operations end to end: service delivery, prioritization, support quality, incident response, root-cause analysis, and after-hours escalation coverage

- Own the reliability, scalability, and lifecycle management of Kepler's infrastructure, including network operations, Linux and Windows systems, identity and access management, virtualization, AWS, monitoring, backups, and disaster recovery

- Drive DevOps practices and automation, including CI/CD, infrastructure as code, configuration management, containerization, and controls around production access, deployments, and secrets

- Lead IT security practices and technical controls, including privileged access, endpoint protection, network security, vulnerability remediation, patching, and system hardening; partner with Security and Legal on customer, contractual, and compliance requirements

- Develop and maintain the IT operations roadmap, balancing immediate operational needs against longer-term investment in reliability, security, and operational maturity

- Contribute to annual planning, budgeting, vendor management, and technology lifecycle planning, and guide make/buy decisions

- Ensure accurate technical documentation and provide regular reporting to senior leadership on service performance, infrastructure health, security posture, operational risks, and resource needs

- Support hiring plans, lead interviews, onboard new team members, and act as primary liaison between IT Operations and Engineering, Security, People and Culture, Finance, and Facilities

Required Skills & Qualifications:

- Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience

- 7+ years of progressive IT experience, with 3+ years of which were leading or managing multidisciplinary technical teams

- Demonstrated success in a player-coach role combining people management with meaningful hands-on technical responsibility

- Track record of picking up unfamiliar technologies quickly and self-directing your own learning, with specific examples of systems you learned on the job well enough to lead work on

- Strong practical experience with network administration, Linux and Windows systems, identity and access management, virtualization, and infrastructure operations

- Ability to independently troubleshoot complex issues across infrastructure, networking, cloud services, identity platforms, and operational tooling

-

## Experience with cloud platforms, preferably AWS

- Working knowledge of modern DevOps practices, including CI/CD, infrastructure as code, configuration management, containers, and scripting

- Familiarity with network security technologies, endpoint management, monitoring platforms, backup systems, and disaster recovery practices

- Proven ability to manage incidents, projects, operational risk, and shifting priorities, and to drive execution through ambiguity

- Track record of building healthy team culture and driving performance through clear expectations and feedback

- Strong communication skills and the ability to explain technical concepts, risks, and trade-offs to senior leaders and non-technical stakeholders

Bonus Points:

- Relevant certifications such as CCNA, CISSP, AWS, Linux Professional Institute, or ITIL

- Experience supporting hybrid environments spanning on-premises infrastructure and public cloud

- Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, or Ansible

- Scripting and automation experience with Bash, Python, or PowerShell

- Familiarity with security and compliance frameworks such as NIST, ISO 27001, or SOC 2

- Experience leading disaster recovery, infrastructure modernization, cloud migration, or security-improvement programs

- Experience developing IT roadmaps, operational metrics, budgets, and technical business cases

- Experience working in fast-paced startup or aerospace environments

Min:  $144,894 CAD -  Max:  $169,894 CAD annually

Actual total compensation will be determined at the Company’s discretion and is based on a variety of job-related factors, which may include, but are not limited to, relevant knowledge, skills, experience, performance, and education and/or training. The Company encourages all qualified applicants to apply, even if the posted salary range does not align with their expectations, as it does not reflect our total compensation package.

Job Type: This is for a current vacancy

Employment Equity & Accommodation Statement Kepler Communications is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, including women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

If you require accommodation during any stage of the recruitment process, please contact our People & Culture team at accommodation@kepler.space, and we will work with you to meet your needs.

## About Kepler Communications

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Building an internet-for-space communications infrastructure with a hybrid optical and RF satellite constellation for real-time data relay.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series C, $92M raised)
- **Headquarters**: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- **Founded**: 2015
- **Founders**: Not publicly disclosed (founded by a group of graduate students)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Space communications / Satellite telecommunications
- **Target customers**: B2B, government (space agencies, defense), satellite operators (LEO and beyond)
- **Mission**: “Delivering on-orbit data at lightspeed… modernize communications to missions in LEO and beyond.”

## Products & Services
- **Kepler Network (Optical Data Relay Constellation)**: A hybrid optical and RF satellite network providing always-available, real-time connectivity for space-to-space, space-to-ground, and air-to-space communications. Supports SDA-compatible optical terminals, IP mesh networking, and hosted payloads. Data throughput up to 2.5 Gbps (Tranche 1), with 100 Gbps planned for Tranche 2.
- **RF Satellite Constellation**: A fleet of 21 RF satellites with proven flight heritage, offering global coverage for mission-critical communications.
- **Hosted Payloads & On-Orbit Compute**: Customers can host payloads on Kepler satellites and leverage on-orbit processing capabilities.
- **Priority Spectrum Holding**: Services that grant operators access to Kepler’s regulatory filings and spectrum rights.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue ~$13M (LinkedIn estimate) | Total Funding >$200M (since 2016)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: IA Ventures (lead, Series C), Costanoa Ventures, Canaan Partners, Tribe Capital, BDC Capital’s Industrial Innovation Venture Fund; partners include Tesat-Spacecom, General Atomics, Cailabs, Space Development Agency (SDA)
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 28.7% YoY to 183 employees; launched first tranche of optical relay satellites (10 satellites) in January 2026; awarded prime position on SDA’s HALO contract (Oct 2024); demonstrated first bidirectional air-to-space optical link (Sept 2025) and space-to-ground optical laser link (May 2025); 39 active job postings (yearly increase of 160%).

## Competitive Advantages
- **Vertical Integration**: In-house production facility for satellite design, build, test, and deployment – rare among commercial space companies.
- **Patented Technology**: Tested and deployed on 33 satellites in orbit, providing proven flight heritage.
- **SDA Compatibility**: Built to SDA optical communication standards, enabling interoperability with any SDA-compatible spacecraft and eligibility for U.S. defense contracts.
- **IP Mesh Networking**: Demonstrated on-orbit networking using standard internet protocols, allowing multiple satellites to communicate over a single ground link.
- **First-Mover in Optical Data Relay**: One of the few commercial operators with an operational optical relay network in LEO.

## Strategic Focus
- **Deploy Tranche 2** (target ~2028) with 100 Gbps optical links, backward compatible with Tranche 1 and supporting both SDA and European ESTOL standards.
- **Expand on-orbit compute capacity** with higher GPU density for edge processing.
- **Grow defense and government customer base** through SDA contracts and international partnerships.
- **Scale the optical constellation** to provide global, always-available connectivity for space missions.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Values drive, empathy, and agility; described as “passionate” and “collaborative” with a focus on making an impact in space communications.
- **Work Model**: Hybrid – full-time regular positions based in Toronto, Ontario. Some roles may require on-site presence for satellite production and testing.
- **Engineering Environment**: Vertical integration means engineers work across the full lifecycle – design, production, testing, and deployment – solving complex challenges in optics, RF, thermal management, and software.
- **Growth Trajectory**: Rapid headcount growth (28.7% YoY) and major contract wins signal strong momentum; 39 open positions across engineering, manufacturing, product, and program management.
- **Hiring Process**: Human recruiters are involved at every step; AI tools assist with initial screening but do not replace human judgment.
- **Diverse Team**: Employees across 10 countries, with a majority in Canada (65%) and growing presence in the US, UK, and Europe.

## Sources
1. [Kepler About Page](https://kepler.space/about/)
2. [Kepler Careers Page](https://kepler.space/careers/)
3. [LinkedIn Company Profile](https://linkedin.com/company/kepler-communications-inc-)
4. [Kepler Jobs on Lever](https://jobs.lever.co/kepler)
5. [New Space Economy Company Profile](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2026/04/24/kepler-communications-company-profile/)

## Other roles at Kepler Communications

- [Senior Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-program-manager-kepler-communications-toronto-e8tq2g6avj0q) — Toronto, Canada
- [Senior Embedded Software Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-embedded-software-designer-kepler-communications-toronto-9y5r9vdmverd) — Toronto, Canada
- [Senior Spectrum Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-spectrum-engineer-kepler-communications-toronto-e4hn0r88fq8t) — Toronto, Canada
- [Hardware Test Engineer - Contract 3+ Months](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-test-engineer-contract-3-months-kepler-communications-toronto-3hjy65hwrsa2) — Toronto, Canada
- [Senior Infrastructure Security Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-infrastructure-security-specialist-kepler-communications-toronto-v6mkbpwswdpk) — Toronto, Canada
- [Embedded Software Engineering Intern (January 2027) (4 months)](https://feeny.ai/job/embedded-software-engineering-intern-january-2027-4-months-kepler-hztcgp9fr4fn) — Toronto, Canada
- [Program Chief Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/program-chief-engineer-kepler-communications-toronto-q2jd3frjem4g) — Toronto, Canada
- [FPGA Digital Design Engineering Intern (May 2027) (4-16 months)](https://feeny.ai/job/fpga-digital-design-engineering-intern-may-2027-4-16-months-kepler-sqqxmza57sh9) — Toronto, Canada
- [Product Assurance Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/product-assurance-specialist-kepler-communications-toronto-fvdgf9jqyqqh) — Toronto, Canada
- [Senior Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-program-manager-kepler-communications-toronto-5pn2ap56p14e) — Toronto, Canada