Security Software Engineer (Starshield) Software

Front Door Defense; Washington, Northern (District of Columbia, KY); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Medical, vision, and dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

SpaceX is hiring a Security Software Engineer (Starshield) to design and secure cryptographic services across Starshield hardware and software. Location is Washington, DC with compensation ranging from $130,000 to $195,000 USD per year.

The role focuses on building security infrastructure, cryptographic services, and secure boot across Starshield devices, while engaging with multiple engineering teams to advance secure, reliable systems on an interplanetary scale.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science or a STEM discipline; OR 2+ years of security software dev experience in lieu of a degree.
• Experience with Python, C++, or Go;
• Experience designing security for OS/distributed systems or large-scale infra

Responsibilities

• Design and build security infrastructure for Starshield, including cryptographic services and security-critical services.
• Develop security features for Starshield systems (router, dish, gateways, satellites).
• Incorporate security into factory processes and provide network services for this.

Skills

Software engineering

Applied cryptography

Network security

Operating system security

Secure/authenticated boot

Incident response

Vulnerability research

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or STEM

Advanced degree in technical discipline

Tools

TPMs

HSMs

Job description

Security Software Engineer (Starshield)

Design, implement, and secure cryptographic services across Starshield hardware and software stack

Location: Washington, District of Columbia

Compensation: $130,000 - 195,000 USD / year

About The Role

Security Software Engineer (Starshield)

Washington, DC

SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make possible a future where humanity is out exploring the stars, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

Starshield leverages SpaceX's Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads. The Starshield team is building highly reliable in-space mesh networks, designing secure systems to guarantee access to space, designing next-gen communication and sensing software, and more.

As a Product Security Engineer you will influence the security of software across our product lines. We are looking for people with a track record of shipping reliable software and who have a broad understanding of the security design of today's Internet, including the cryptographic primitives involved. You 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:

• Software engineering
• Applied cryptography
• Network security
• Operating system security
• Secure/authenticated boot
• Incident response and adversary detection
• Vulnerability research

Being flexible, communicating clearly, and establishing and maintaining productive working relationships with other engineering teams are paramount to success. If you are passionate about building quality products, love the challenges of outsmarting adversaries, and want to make an impact on an inter-planetary scale, then you will fit right in.

Responsibilities:

• Design and build security infrastructure for Starshield, including cryptographic services and other security-critical services
• Develop security features for Starshield systems, including our router, dish, gateways, and satellites
• Design security into factory processes and provide network services in support of this
• Maintain existing production systems and improve security posture via both direct implementation and recommendations to other teams
• Build prototypes and help identify, design, and test security improvements

Basic qualifications:

• 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
• Experience with one or more software development languages (i.e. Python, C++, Golang)
• Experience designing and implementing security solutions for operating systems, distributed systems, or other enterprise/large-scale infrastructure

Preferred skills and experience:

• Experience contributing security improvements to complex systems
• 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
• Flexibility, communicating clearly, and establishing and maintaining productive working relationships with other engineering teams
• 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, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance

Additional requirements:

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
• This position requires successfully obtaining and maintaining a Top Secret Security Clearance as a condition of employment. While the clearance may not be immediately necessary upon hire, we encourage you to initiate the application process promptly upon accepting this offer. Your ability to secure the necessary clearance is essential for fulfilling key responsibilities of the role. Should you be unable to obtain it, SpaceX reserves the right to modify or terminate your employment to align with operational needs.

Compensation and benefits: Pay Range: Level 1: $130,000.00 - $160,000.00 Level 2: $150,000.00 - $195,000.00. Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

ITAR requirements: To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be 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.

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