Principal Cyber Security Engineer, Strategy and Architecture

Viasat; Tempe (AZ); Hybrid; USD 230,000 - 363,000; Full time

Job summary

Viasat is seeking a Lead Cyber Security Engineer for a senior, hands-on leadership role. You will guide security engineering and operations, drive roadmap alignment with the Deputy CISO, and translate strategic goals into practical security programs across the company.

The role emphasizes technical excellence, collaboration with engineering teams, and mentoring security engineers while ensuring compliance with frameworks and risk reduction objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related technical field.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on technical leadership in designing, developing, and validating secure system architectures, communications networks, and security controls.
• Guide the implementation of secure network design, segmentation strategies, encryption mechanisms, identity and access controls, and monitoring systems.
• Establish a robust methodology for documenting and describing technical decisions to ensure efficient maturation of security-impacting services.
• Develop an understanding of the operational processes followed by Security to be able to identify difficulties and opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain a degree of technical proficiency with the various tools used by the Security organization.

Skills

Security engineering

Systems engineering

Network engineering

Threat modeling

Risk assessment

Communication skills

Zero-trust architecture

Firewalls

IDS/IPS

PKI

SIEM/SOAR

EDR/NDR

CSPM/CNAPP

Encryption

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related technical field.

Job description

About Us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We’re looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

About Us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We’re looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

What You’ll Do

The Lead Cyber Security Engineer is a senior-level leader who supports the Security Engineering and Operations organization. They work closely with the Deputy CISO to implement security strategies and guide the security organization’s overall direction to meet those strategies. This position will assist in leading the organization roadmap. It will also involve working with engineering authorities to resolve blockers. The role focuses on delivering technical solutions that advance strategic objectives.

The day-to-day

As our Principal Security Systems Engineer, you must be technically strong and comfortable working across socio-technical boundaries. You should be highly collaborative and hands-on when crafting and delivering improvements to Viasat’s security posture. This role will operate across multiple cybersecurity technical and functional groups to assist with translating the strategic vision into practical work. Will also assist the deputy chief information security officer by working closely with the engineering and operational security team. The ideal candidate is capable as a hands-on engineer, mentor, and multi-functional facilitator and can jump in on a program as a performer.

Strategic & Multi-Functional Leadership

• Serve as a technical liaison between the CISO organization and other senior leadership domains to better ‘see ahead’ to where security needs to be.
• Collaborate across security functions which exist in other parts of the company to ensure alignment, scalability, and efficiency.
• Participate in enterprise security architecture discussions and translate outcomes into domain and project-specific engineering requirements and repeatable patterns.

Technical Leadership & Execution

• Provide hands-on technical leadership in designing, developing, and validating secure system architectures, communications networks, and security controls.
• Guide the implementation of secure network design, segmentation strategies, encryption mechanisms, identity and access controls, and monitoring systems.
• Establish a robust methodology for documenting and describing technical decisions to ensure efficient maturation of security-impacting services.
• Develop an understanding of the operational processes followed by Security to be able to identify difficulties and opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain a degree of technical proficiency with the various tools used by the Security organization. This helps identify gaps in tooling coverage.
• Help bridge the gap between security operations and security engineering by ensuring that operational realities inform engineering decisions, and that engineered solutions work under operational pressure.
• Participate in encouraging the responsible adoption of AI capabilities across the wider Security organization.
• Collaboratively develop mechanisms to enable the security department to enforce security policies, procedures, and ensure compliance with frameworks like NIST, ISO 27001, GDPR, and CCPA.

Team Development & Enablement

• Mentor and develop security engineers across multiple teams, providing mentorship, training, and technical support.
• Build productive, trust-based relationships with engineering teams, product owners, executives, and external partners.
• Mentor junior and mid-level security staff not just on technical skills, but on judgement, communication, and professional growth.
• Use critical thinking to navigate complex problem-sets (technical and non-technical) with real-world impacts to business and collaborators when prioritising system & network events.

What You’ll Need

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of experience in security engineering, systems engineering, network engineering, or similar roles.
• Exercises impeccable judgment and ability to analyze risk in the application of security controls for the purpose of achieving real-world risk reduction.
• Experienced in navigating trade-offs between security, performance, and reliability.
• Knowledgeable in secure system design, communications networks, cybersecurity controls, and threat modeling.
• Familiar with working across organizational boundaries including security, infrastructure, networking, and product engineering.
• Familiarity with modern network protocols, routing, wireless communications, encryption, and network security architecture.
• Experienced in the hands-on management and operation of enterprise security tools and technologies (e.g. firewalls, IDS/IPS, PKI, SIEM/SOAR, EDR/NDR, CSPM/CNAPP, zero-trust).
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence collaborators at multiple levels.
• US Citizenship required.
• Ability to travel up to 20%.

This will be a hybrid role based out of Carlsbad, CA, Tempe, AZ, Reston, VA or Marlborough, MA.

What Will Help You On The Job

• A growth-mindset; willingness to learn new skills and new tools.
• Capable of influencing without direct authority.
• Systems-level thinking and architectural insight.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical reasoning, and risk-based judgement.
• Capable of establishing structure and consistency across decentralized teams.
• Has a strong understanding of satellite (or similar) communications networks.
• Experienced in environments which are subject to regulatory frameworks such as FedRAMP, CMMC, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or SOC 2.
• Familiar with zero-trust architecture principles and practical implementation challenges.
• Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, GIAC (GSLC, GCSA, GSOM), or SABSA are valued but not required. We care more about what you can do than what is on your wall.

Salary range

$230,000.00 - $363,000.00 / annually. For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $285,500.00- $428,500.00/ annually

At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Learn more about Viasat’s comprehensive benefit offerings that are focused on your holistic health and wellness at https://careers.viasat.com/benefits.

EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application, please click here.