Cyber Defense Architect: Incident Response & Automation

General Atomics; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 171,000; Full time

Job summary

General Atomics in San Diego seeks a cybersecurity professional to lead incident response, risk analysis, and advanced troubleshooting across our security operations.

You will implement policy enforcement, analyze telemetry, develop automation, and collaborate with engineers to strengthen our security posture. The role may require on-site work and DoD clearance eligibility. Career progression toward senior defense operations is available.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, information technology or related field; 5+ years cybersecurity experience with a bachelor or 3+ years with a master's.
• 3-5 years of hands‑on cybersecurity experience preferred.
• Understanding of security practices and threat landscapes.
• Ability to quickly adopt new tools and contribute to process improvement.
• Effective communication with end users and technical teams.
• Able to resolve moderately complex technical issues.
• Capable of working independently and collaboratively.
• Desirable: GSEC, CEH, CySA+, or equivalent certification.
• Desirable: NGFW technologies experience.
• Desirable: Experience with Python, PowerShell, Java, Bash, KQL/SQL.
• Relevant: AWS Solutions Architect - Associate, Azure Administrator, CompTIA Cloud+, Cisco CCNA, Palo Alto, M365 Security.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain DoD Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Incident response, risk analysis, and advanced troubleshooting.
• Day-to-day management and monitoring of security systems post-implementation.
• Network observability, threat detection, and security metrics reporting.
• Automation-driven operational workflows to maintain visibility and rapid response.
• Policy enforcement and engineering collaboration for major updates.
• Develop scripts and automation to streamline security deployments.
• Maintain and optimize security tools like firewalls, VPNs, and segmentation controls.
• Mentor analysts and engineers; drive process improvements.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Independent work

Adaptability

Problem solving

Education

Bachelors or Masters in Computer Science/Information Technology

Tools

Python

PowerShell

Java

Bash

KQL/SQL

Job description

General Atomics in San Diego seeks a cybersecurity professional to lead incident response, risk analysis, and advanced troubleshooting across our security operations.

You will implement policy enforcement, analyze telemetry, develop automation, and collaborate with engineers to strengthen our security posture. The role may require on-site work and DoD clearance eligibility. Career progression toward senior defense operations is available.