Sr. Security Engineer

About the role

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars. This role focuses on the "behind the scenes" technologies that ensure our networks and systems are up to industry and SpaceX standards of information security. The Sr. Security Engineer will design, implement, and maintain critical security services that protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of high-risk systems. This position requires a proactive mindset to guard against threats that could damage our reputation or compromise operational control. The hire will be responsible for materializing security improvements that reduce risk across the enterprise. Success in this role means enabling secure and scalable deployments while collaborating closely with cross-functional partners.

Key facts

What you'll do

Design, prototype, and deploy security technologies that enforce protection for SpaceX systems, networks, and data.

Architect and sustain authentication and identity services, including multi-factor solutions, network access control, and identity servers.

Automate identity lifecycle management by building and maintaining scripts that support security operations across the organization.

Configure, monitor, and troubleshoot network security systems and the backend infrastructure that powers those services.

Implement and manage application level security controls such as web application firewalls to mitigate application layer threats.

Define, enforce, and evolve cloud deployments security policy, centralized configuration management, and monitoring frameworks.

Serve as the subject matter expert for assigned solutions and maintain detailed documentation to guide security teammates and partner organizations.

Analyze threats in coordination with security and IT teams, then translate findings into improvements that strengthen software and application deployments.

Develop scalable, repeatable, maintainable, and secure solutions that meet the demands of a high-velocity engineering environment.

Collaborate effectively with information security, physical security, information technology, human resources, legal, software, and other internal teams.

Validate security controls through testing, observation, and measurement to ensure alignment with enterprise risk thresholds.

Optimize identity and security service availability to support critical business functions and reduce outage risk.

Champion secure development practices by advising engineering teams on standards, tools, and emerging security patterns.

Drive continuous improvement by reviewing operational metrics and identifying opportunities to harden the security posture over time.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in computer science or another STEM discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience in security software development in lieu of a degree.

5+ years of experience with the Python programming language, GO, C#, or Rust.

5+ years of experience designing and implementing security solutions for operating systems, distributed systems, or other enterprise/large-scale infrastructure.

Ability to obtain and maintain US government security clearance eligibility as determined by SpaceX personnel policies.

Must be authorized to work in the United States and not require sponsorship for employment authorization now or in the future.

Must comply with SpaceX drug-free workplace policy and pass pre-employment drug screening.

Must successfully complete a background check that includes review of identity, criminal history, and employment information.

Must be willing and able to regularly lift up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift up to 50 pounds as required by operational duties.

Must be able to work in the United States without requiring current or future work authorization sponsorship by the company.

Must be able to commute to the Hawthorne, CA location reliably and adhere to SpaceX operational schedules.

Must meet all professional, safety, and regulatory standards applicable to the role and location.

Nice to have

Experience with secure code development practices.

Experience with Linux, Windows, and Mac system internals.

Experience with public key infrastructure (PKI) environments and related technologies.

Experience with SAML, OIDC, and OAuth.

Experience working with special purpose security hardware such as Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) and Hardware Security Modules (HSMs).

Fundamental understanding of network protocols; including the TCP/IP stack as well as UDP based protocols.

Experienced in navigating large, complex, interactive systems.

Familiarity with developing web-based APIs, HTTP-RPC, and REST.

Familiarity with enterprise security controls and security best practices for Windows, Linux, and Mac systems.

Effective problem-solving skills, and ability to quickly determine root-causes of issues.

Familiarity with macOS and Windows code-signing and deployment of enterprise applications.

Practical notes

This role is based in Hawthorne, California and requires physical presence at the worksite.

Employment is at-will and may be terminated at any time with or without cause.

This position may require occasional travel as needed for business purposes.

The candidate must be authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship for employment authorization now or in the future.

Offer extensions may be required if the hiring process takes longer than standard timelines.

All hires are subject to SpaceX background checks and drug screening.