Sr. Product Security Engineer - Top Secret Clearance

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. 

SR. PRODUCT SECURITY ENGINEER – TOP SECRET CLEARANCE

At SpaceX we push the boundaries of in-space capabilities with products such as our Starlink low Earth orbit satellite constellation, Starship spacecraft, and Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Our missions support scientific research, classified national security operations, and commercial endeavors. Security and reliability are at the core of these programs.

The SpaceX product security team is seeking technical, passionate cybersecurity engineers to influence the security of software and hardware across our product lines. We are looking for people who see the big picture, prioritize accordingly, and are comfortable with working at different levels of abstraction.

Ideally, you have notable skills in one or more of the following: exploit development or mitigation, security architecture design, firmware security, software development, or operating system security. Being flexible, communicating clearly, and establishing and maintaining productive working relationships with other engineering teams are paramount to success.

If you are passionate about hunting for vulnerabilities, love the challenges of cyber defense, and want to make an impact on an inter-planetary scale, then we want to talk to you!

An active Top Secret security clearance, or ability to obtain one, is desired but not required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Act as a security liaison to customers and mission stakeholders to develop security requirements for future SpaceX products
• Collaborate with engineering teams to design security into existing systems and drive security reviews
• Continuously evaluate product software and hardware for vulnerabilities, and develop risk mitigation strategies
• Build prototypes and help identify, design, and test security improvements
• Develop tools to assist in modeling, analysis, detection, and prevention of security vulnerabilities
• Interface with IT and other product security teams around the company to develop SpaceX-wide solutions for security
• Investigate technologies that could measurably improve security posture
• Stay current on industry developments impacting cybersecurity and privacy policy

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• 4+ years of experience in security software development and a bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or physics discipline OR 6+ years of professional experience in software development in lieu of a bachelor’s degree
• Experience in exploit development or mitigation
• Experience with software development in Python, C/C++, or Golang
• Experience designing and implementing security solutions for operating systems, distributed systems, and/or firmware/IoT devices
• Active Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance, or ability to obtain one

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Demonstrated skill in hardware and software security, including a track record of identifying and mitigating high-impact vulnerabilities
• Experience contributing security improvements to complex systems
• Experience with disassemblers and/or reverse engineering
• Fundamental understanding of network protocols; including the TCP/IP stack as well as UDP based protocols
• Experience with fuzzing, buffer overflows, and other common exploit methodologies
• Experienced in navigating large, complex, interactive systems
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to work both independently and in a team
• Demonstrated ability to deal with ambiguity and to learn new technologies quickly
• Advanced degree in a technical or engineering discipline
• Active Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance, or ability to obtain one desired but not required

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Note that an active Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing
• Extended hours and weekend work may be required to support critical project and mission milestones

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should notify the Human Resources Department at (310) 363-6000.