Your Mission

As Head of Facilities, you will build the physical foundation for GITAI's next stage of growth, owning the infrastructure that enables us to scale engineering, manufacturing, integration, and testing across our offices, manufacturing environments, remote test sites, and facilities supporting U.S. government programs. This is initially a senior individual-contributor role with no direct reports. You will work directly with Engineering and Operations leadership and serve as the central owner across internal teams, contractors, consultants, landlords, utilities, regulatory authorities, government stakeholders, and security teams. Many of the environments GITAI needs do not yet exist, and requirements will often be incomplete or based on assumptions. You will seek primary information yourself, get close to the hardware and the people doing the work, identify the real constraint, and determine what should actually be built. You will turn those needs into working physical environments, making practical decisions across facilities, equipment, utilities, layout, permitting, security, cost, and schedule. The work will include technically demanding and highly regulated environments involving explosives, energetic and hazardous materials, and U.S. government security requirements. As GITAI grows, you may eventually build a facilities team, but this will remain a hands-on role. Your mission is to build the launchpad that enables GITAI's engineers to move faster, test more, solve harder problems, and deliver their best work.

What You'll Drive

• Own GITAI's facility strategy and execution across offices, engineering and manufacturing environments, remote test sites, and facilities supporting U.S. government programs.
• Translate technical and operational needs into practical infrastructure decisions across space, power, HVAC, utilities, equipment, safety, security, manufacturing areas, laboratories, and test environments. Challenge assumptions when a simpler or more effective solution exists.
• Lead site selection, facility due diligence, lease-related coordination, renovations, buildouts, permitting, inspections, construction, commissioning, and major infrastructure upgrades from initial need through completion.
• Own the facility-side path through regulatory, permitting, and security requirements, including those associated with explosives, energetic materials, hazardous materials, fire and life safety, environmental constraints, classified or cleared spaces, and operations at remote or government-controlled locations.
• Serve as the central hub across internal stakeholders and external partners. Define scope, manage budgets and schedules, negotiate with vendors and contractors, and drive decisions across landlords, brokers, consultants, general contractors, utilities, regulatory authorities, government stakeholders, and security teams.
• Stay close to the work. Walk the floor, inspect prospective sites and construction, review drawings and bids, investigate infrastructure problems yourself, and drive issues through closure.

What We're Looking For

• 8+ years of experience in facilities, construction, industrial infrastructure, facilities engineering, manufacturing operations, or a closely related field.
• Experience owning significant facility buildouts, expansions, relocations, test-site development, or infrastructure projects in a technically demanding environment such as aerospace, defense, propulsion, robotics, advanced manufacturing, automotive, energy, or laboratories.
• Strong practical understanding of industrial building infrastructure and facility development, including electrical power, HVAC, utilities, building systems, permitting, inspections, and construction.
• Demonstrated experience navigating permits, regulations, and approval processes for technically complex facilities. Experience with explosives, energetic materials, hazardous materials, or similarly regulated operations is required.
• Demonstrated experience developing, modifying, or operating facilities subject to U.S. government security requirements, including classified or cleared work environments, physical security requirements, controlled access, and coordination with security stakeholders.
• Strong judgment under ambiguity. You can separate the real requirement from assumptions and turn incomplete engineering or operational needs into a practical solution.
• Strong commercial and execution judgment across scopes of work, budgets, schedules, contractor selection, negotiations, and project delivery.
• A hands-on operating style. You actively seek primary information and are comfortable moving between executive-level decisions, regulatory and security discussions, contractor coordination, and physical problems on the floor, at a construction site, or at a remote test site.
• U.S. citizenship is required due to the nature of GITAI's work with U.S. government customers and programs. This role may require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

Strong plus:

• Experience building or scaling facilities at an early-stage hardware company.
• Experience developing or operating remote test sites, field facilities, or infrastructure on government or highly regulated sites.
• Experience with specialized technical environments such as machine shops, laboratories, clean or controlled areas, high-power equipment, environmental testing, or propulsion test infrastructure.
• General Contractor license, PE, PMP, or other relevant professional qualification.

Location and Position Type

• Location: Torrance, CA
• Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt
• Work Arrangement: Onsite, five days per week
• Travel: Approximately 25-30% travel is expected, primarily within Southern California. This role will regularly support remote test sites and other project locations, including recurring overnight stays. Travel frequency may increase temporarily during facility buildouts, construction, testing, or commissioning activities.
• Typical Work Hours: Monday to Friday, approximately 9:00am to 6:00pm. Flexibility is expected based on construction schedules, facility issues, test activities, permitting and inspection schedules, security requirements, and program needs.

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this position is expected to be $150,000 to $200,000. Actual compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, demonstrated ability to lead complex facility and infrastructure projects, experience supporting technical hardware environments, and other job-related factors. This position is also eligible for stock options and company benefits.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Healthcare: 100% paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees, with 90% coverage for dependents, plus life insurance
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with a company match
• Equity Opportunities: Stock options in a rapidly growing startup, giving you a stake in our success
• Relocation Support: Financial assistance for relocation is available for candidates residing outside the Los Angeles area
• Paid Time Off: 12 days of paid time off (PTO) and 12 company holidays annually
• Office Perks: Enjoy free snacks and drinks, plus regular social events to foster team spirit

No agency submissions, please.

Compensation may include base salary or hourly pay and, depending on the position, equity. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, skillset, and other job-related factors.

LA salary range

$150,000-$200,000 USD