Enterprise Crypto Security Engineer

Cybersecurity Jobs; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 149,000 - 187,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K plan with company match

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Life insurance and AD&D

Flexible spending account

Disability coverage

Paid time off

Flexible work schedule

Job summary

KBR is seeking a Cryptography Subject Matter Expert to join our team in El Segundo, CA or Colorado Springs, CO. You will lead cryptographic unit design, oversee integration with space and ground systems, and mentor engineers while coordinating with government customers and subcontractors.

The role requires active TS/SCI clearance, a technical bachelor’s degree, and 7+ years in systems engineering and crypto. Travel is minimal, and on-site work is expected at both locations.

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance required.
• Bachelor's degree in a technical field.
• Experience across system lifecycle phases and DoD/space programs.
• Familiarity with NSA certification processes and Key Management.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise for encryption unit development and delivery aligned with mission objectives and requirements.
• Lead cryptographic unit trade studies, evaluate candidates, and present data-driven recommendations to leadership.
• Oversee design, interfaces, development, and delivery of encryption units, ensuring hardware and firmware compatibility.
• Manage crypto integration with ground systems, mission operations, and secure architectures.
• Support testing activities, develop or review test plans and reports for verification campaigns.
• Participate in TRRs, dry runs, SVTs, and CDRLs; address anomalies and ensure traceability.
• Provide PKMA support, including secure key management processes and architecture alignment.
• Maintain strong relationships with government customers and partners; represent crypto engineering in reviews and meetings.
• Lead and mentor engineers, assign tasks, perform technical reviews, and support professional development.
• Oversee crypto lifecycle management within programs to manage scope, priorities, and dependencies.
• Establish and enforce cryptographic standards and best practices across programs and platforms.

Skills

Active TS/SCI clearance

Strong communication skills

MS Office proficiency

Systems engineering lifecycle

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Overview

KBR is seeking a motivated and experienced Cryptography Subject Matter Expert to join the team in El Segundo, CA or Colorado Springs, CO. The MSEIT effort delivers leading-edge Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) for the United States Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC). The program acquires state-of-the-art Military and Commercial Satellite Communications (SATCOM) systems to provide global, secure, survivable, and protected communications for U.S. warfighters.

This role supports a collaborative environment of small teams, using modern tools and methodologies to integrate complex space and ground communications systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise for the development, integration, and delivery of space and ground cryptographic units, ensuring solutions align with mission objectives and system requirements.
• Lead spacecraft cryptographic unit trade studies, evaluating candidate solutions against requirements, interface constraints, environmental considerations, performance criteria, and testability; deliver clear, data-driven recommendations to program leadership and customers.
• Oversee the technical design, interface definition, development, and delivery of encryption units, including hardware and firmware, ensuring compatibility with subsystems and compliance with mission, cybersecurity, and interface standards.
• Manage technical design, interface definition, development, and delivery of encryption units to ensure proper integration with ground systems, mission operations, and secure architectures.
• Support and oversee testing activities for encryption units, including dry runs and SVT; develop or review test plans, procedures, and reports to ensure successful verification and validation campaigns.
• Participate in TRRs, dry run activities, SVTs, and CDRL reviews; address anomalies and ensure full requirement traceability.
• Provide supplemental support for Protected Key Management Architecture (PKMA), including secure key management processes, documentation, and architecture alignment.
• Maintain strong relationships with government customers, contractors, subcontractors, and FFRDC partners; represent the crypto engineering function in design reviews, technical interchange meetings, and program-level forums.
• Lead and mentor engineers (junior to mid-level), including task assignment, technical reviews, and professional development.
• Oversee crypto lifecycle management by managing technical scope, priorities, and dependencies for cryptographic tasks within program schedules and constraints.
• Establish and enforce cryptographic standards and best practices across programs and platforms.

Required Experience

• Active TS/SCI clearance
• Bachelor’s degree
• Understanding of the discipline and practice of Systems Engineering across system lifecycle phases, including concept, development, production, operations, and sustainment
• 7+ years of systems engineering experience, which may include crypto, cyber security, requirements development, verification, integration, and test
• 7+ years of crypto experience, NSA certification processes, and Key Management processes
• 5+ years of experience with military or DoD or Intelligence Community space and ground
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to author final-version deliverable technical documents and reports

Preferred Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field such as engineering, mathematics, physics, information systems, information technology, or computer science
• Master’s degree in a technical field such as engineering, mathematics, physics, information systems, information technology, or computer science
• Familiarity with Jira and Confluence
• Experience with NSA’s Key Management Infrastructure (KMI)
• Experience with HAIPEs and cross-domain solutions (CDS)
• Certifications such as CISSP, SANS, CEH, INCOSE CSEP or ESEP, OCSMP (MBSE)

Work Environment

• Location: On site
• Travel Requirements: Minimal
• Working Hours: Standard, 40 hours per week (full-time)

Compensation

For California only, the salary range is approximately $149,400-$186,700. For Colorado only, the salary range is approximately $136,400-$170,500. The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or experience, in consideration of internal parity.

Other Compensation

KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels, per internal policy or contractual designation. Additional compensation may include sign on bonus, relocation benefits, short term incentives, long term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.

Benefits

KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits, which could include:

• 401K plan with company match
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance and AD&D
• Flexible spending account
• Disability coverage
• Paid time off
• Flexible work schedule

Career advancement support includes professional training and development.

Additional Notes

Trinzic is the future independent company created through the planned spin-off of KBR’s Mission Technology Solutions business, expected in January 2027. Candidates who join the Mission Technology Solutions business before the spin-off will transition to Trinzic when the separation is complete and will not need to reapply for employment.