IT Specialist

About Blake's Beverage Co. and the Role

Blake's Beverage Company is a collective of Avid Cider Co., Blake's Hard Cider, and Austin Eastciders, dedicated to restoring cider as America's favored drink. With nearly eight decades of family farming heritage across MI, TX, OR, and NY, we focus on creating bold, fruit-centric beverages supported by fresh ingredients and artisanal dedication.

As the IT Specialist, you will be the cornerstone of our technology infrastructure, supporting a dispersed, remote-first workforce. Your role involves overseeing helpdesk operations, system reliability, hardware lifecycle, and employee technical onboarding, empowering our growing company through strategic IT management and innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the chief point of contact for all organizational IT support covering hardware, software, network connectivity, and access issues.
• Efficiently prioritize and resolve helpdesk tickets while maintaining transparent communication with users and ensuring issue closure.
• Provide remote troubleshooting support across different US states and time zones to a geographically distributed team.
• Document recurring problems, solutions, and system configurations to preserve institutional knowledge.
• Manage complete hardware lifecycle including purchasing, deployment, maintenance, inventory tracking, and decommissioning.
• Maintain accurate records of company hardware, peripherals, and software licenses, identifying cost savings and vendor management opportunities.
• Develop and execute seamless IT onboarding processes for new hires to ensure quick productivity and eliminate friction.
• Lead the adoption and training of AI tools such as Claude and Claude Code, facilitating automation of IT workflows and internal tool development.
• Administer core SaaS applications including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and NetSuite integrations with a strong focus on security and system health monitoring.
• Manage the company's SharePoint environment as an effective intranet, ensuring well-organized team sites, governance standards, and user adoption.
• Oversee software and SaaS license renewals, optimize license usage, maintain vendor relationships, and prevent tool duplication.
• Coordinate secure IT offboarding procedures, including account deactivation, device retrieval, and access revocation.
• Administer Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 tenant, supporting collaboration tools, governance, and training to enhance communication and reduce reliance on email.
• Develop, update, and enforce IT policies related to usage, password standards, data retention, and remote device requirements.
• Implement a basic security awareness program including phishing tests, compliance monitoring, and endpoint protection management.
• Create and maintain a comprehensive runbook documenting critical IT processes for operational consistency.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of experience in IT support, systems administration, or a related generalist role.
• Proven expertise in overseeing helpdesk operations and process creation.
• Practical experience using Claude and Claude Code AI tools within daily workflows.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft 365, device management across Windows and Mac, and SaaS platform administration.
• Experience managing hardware inventory with end-to-end asset administration.
• Ability to design and lead IT onboarding programs tailored for remote teams.
• Highly self-motivated, organized, and capable of operating independently without direct team support.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain technical issues clearly to non-technical colleagues.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience supporting teams across multiple states in a remote-first environment.
• Familiarity with ERP systems such as NetSuite.
• Comfort working in fast-evolving, high-growth companies with shifting technology and processes.
• Knowledge of endpoint security solutions and foundational network administration.
• Skill in developing internal tools or automation scripts using Claude Code or similar platforms.

Additional Information

This position reports directly to the CFO and is a full-time, exempt role with remote work flexibility. The candidate will support team members located across North America and must be able to provide timely assistance across various time zones.

Blake's Beverage Company is committed to equal employment opportunities.