Senior Application Security Engineer

Menlo Ventures; Laguna Beach (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401K

Parental Leave

Paid holidays

PTO

Job summary

A leading space technology firm in California is looking for a Senior Application Security Engineer to implement and audit security controls for mission-critical space systems. This role involves ensuring compliance with government standards and collaborating with engineering teams to enhance software security. Ideal candidates have 5+ years of experience in application security, solid software engineering skills, and hands-on experience with compliance requirements. The position offers a competitive salary range between $150,000 to $205,000, inclusive of equity and benefits.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in application security, product security, or security engineering.
• Hands-on experience with compliance frameworks such as NIST 800‑171 or NIST 800‑53.
• Strong software engineering skills with the ability to write production-quality code.

Responsibilities

• Create security architecture documentation for government authorization.
• Drive vulnerability management program with defined SLAs for remediation.
• Perform security code reviews for various codebases.

Skills

Application security

Security engineering

Software engineering

Cloud security

Collaboration with engineering teams

Tools

Python

Elixir

C++

JavaScript

Terraform

Job description

A new space race has begun. True Anomaly seeks those with the talent and ambition to build innovative technology that solves the next generation of engineering, manufacturing, and operational challenges for space security and sustainability.

OUR MISSION

The peaceful use of space is essential for continued prosperity on Earth—from communications and finance to navigation and logistics. True Anomaly builds innovative technology at the intersection of spacecraft, software, and AI to enhance the capabilities of the U.S., its allies, and commercial partners. We safeguard global security by ensuring space access and sustainability for all.

OUR VALUES

• Be the offset. We create asymmetric advantages with creativity and ingenuity
• What would it take? We challenge assumptions to deliver ambitious results
• It’s the people. Our team is our competitive advantage and we are better together

YOUR MISSION

As a Senior Application Security Engineer, you will be instrumental in implementing and auditing security controls for mission‑critical space systems that must meet stringent government compliance requirements. You will work at the intersection of security engineering, compliance frameworks (NIST 800‑171/800‑53), and modern cloud‑native architectures to ensure our satellite mission control software and flight systems meet Department of Defense security standards.

You will design and implement application‑level security controls including comprehensive audit logging, incident response capabilities, access controls, and security monitoring—all while working closely with product engineering teams to shift security to ensure optimal outcomes.

If you thrive in a fast‑paced environment where you can build security controls from the ground up and see the direct impact of your work on national security space operations, this mission is for you.

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Create security architecture documentation and operational security guides for government authorization processes
• Drive vulnerability management program with defined SLAs for remediation (30/90/180 days by severity)
• Perform security code reviews for Elixir, Python, C++, and JavaScript codebases
• Collaborate in the triage and management of security automations using SAST (CodeQL, Semgrep), SCA (JFrog Xray), and DAST tools
• Collaborate with engineering teams to address security findings and implement secure coding practices
• Develop and deliver security training to software engineers and systems administrators across the organization
• Create and manage incident response playbooks specific to application security events
• Evaluate and integrate third‑party security solutions to enhance overall security capabilities

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in application security, product security, or security engineering
• Hands‑on experience implementing security controls for compliance frameworks such as NIST 800‑171, NIST 800‑53, FedRAMP, or CMMC
• Strong software engineering skills with ability to write production‑quality code in at least one language (Python, Rust, Elixir, C++, or similar)
• Experience with cloud security (Azure preferred, AWS or GCP acceptable)
• Solid understanding of secure architecture principles including:
• Threat modeling and risk assessment
• Authentication and authorization patterns (OAuth2, JWT, RBAC, ABAC)
• Cryptography and key management
• Defense‑in‑depth and Zero Trust principles
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with engineering teams to implement security controls without blocking velocity
• U.S. Citizen and eligible for DoD Secret or TS/SCI clearance

Preferred Skills

• Active TS/SCI clearance or ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance Direct experience with NIST 800‑171 Rev 3 or NIST 800‑53 implementation projects (gap analysis, control implementation, evidence collection)
• Experience with Department of Defense Impact Levels (IL2/IL4/IL5/IL6) or STIGs (Secure Technical Implementation Guides)
• Familiarity with Elixir/Erlang/Phoenix or other functional programming ecosystems (Scala, Haskell, F#, OCaml)
• Experience with Azure Government Cloud or other FedRAMP‑authorized cloud environments
• Background in DevSecOps or Platform Security Engineering:
• GitOps workflows and CI/CD security
• Infrastructure as Code security (Terraform, Bicep, Pulumi)
• Kubernetes security (Pod Security Standards, network policies, service mesh)
• Experience with security incident response including detection engineering and SOAR integration
• Familiarity with aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated industries (finance, healthcare, critical infrastructure)
• Previous experience in startups or fast‑paced environments with ability to build processes from scratch

COMPENSATION

• Base Salary: Long Beach – $150,000 to $205,000, Denver – $145,000 to $195,000
• Equity + Benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on job‑related knowledge and skills, education, location, and experience.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Work Location—Successful candidates will be located near Denver or Long Beach. While we observe a hybrid work environment, some work must be done on site.
• Work environment—temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job.
• Physical demands—bending, sitting, lifting, and driving.

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.

True Anomaly is committed to equal employment opportunity on any basis protected by applicable state and federal laws. If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation, please let us know.