Senior Security Engineer

Socket.dev; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwood is seeking a Senior Security Engineer to design robust security frameworks for a global space-ground network. You will architect security across ground stations, cloud, and Kubernetes, aligning with FedRAMP and NIST 800-171 requirements.

You will lead incident response, threat hunting, and automated compliance pipelines, coordinating with Space Force, government customers, and engineering teams to ensure secure mission deployments.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of infrastructure as code and security automation experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI clearance.
• Experience conducting security architecture reviews in regulated environments.
• Strong knowledge of NIST 800-171, CUI, and FedRAMP frameworks and implementation.
• Familiarity with government cloud environments (AWS GovCloud, Azure Government).
• Proficiency in Python, Go, or Rust for building security tooling.
• Experience implementing defensive controls for endpoints, SaaS, and infra in high-assurance settings.

Responsibilities

• Design security architectures for brand-new ground station infrastructure and space communication protocols.
• Deploy security controls for distributed systems spanning continents and air-gapped networks.
• Lead incident response and threat hunting across a globally distributed network.
• Build and maintain automated compliance pipelines satisfying FedRAMP and NIST 800-171.

Skills

Terraform

AWS CDK

TS/SCI clearance

NIST 800-171

FedRAMP

Python/Go/Rust

Kubernetes

Security architecture reviews

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/EE

Tools

Splunk

QRadar

CrowdStrike

SentinelOne

Azure Government

Job description

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.

Role

We're building the internet for space. Help us secure it.

Northwood is deploying a global network of phased array ground stations that will fundamentally change how satellites communicate with Earth. We're talking about real-time, high-throughput space communications infrastructure that government and commercial customers depend on for mission-critical operations. We need a Senior Security Engineer to design robust security frameworks that enable rapid scaling while meeting the most demanding compliance requirements in the industry.

Responsibilities

• Build security from the ground up - You're not inheriting someone else's technical debt. Design security architectures for brand-new ground station infrastructure and space communication protocols that don't exist anywhere else.
• Secure the impossible - Our phased array antennas track hundreds of satellites simultaneously across multiple orbits. Design and implement security controls for distributed systems that span continents and operate where a single failure could impact national security missions.
• Own the whole stack - From RF protocols to Kubernetes clusters. Deploy enterprise SIEM solutions that can handle terabytes of satellite communications data while maintaining detailed audit trails for the most stringent compliance requirements.
• Pioneer security for space communications - When you're building infrastructure that doesn't exist anywhere else, the security playbooks don't exist yet. You'll be writing them while serving as primary security liaison for Space Force and other government customers.
• Lead incident response and threat hunting across a globally distributed ground station network, coordinating with engineering, network operations, and compliance teams to maintain security posture that enables mission success.
• Create automated compliance pipelines that don't slow down deployment cycles - Build comprehensive security documentation and reporting standards that satisfy FedRAMP and NIST 800-171 requirements without breaking engineering velocity.

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of production experience with infrastructure as code (Terraform, AWS CDK) - You automate everything and treat security configurations like the critical code they are
• Ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI clearance
• Experience conducting security architecture reviews in regulated environments where "good enough" isn't good enough
• Strong knowledge of NIST 800-171, CUI, and FedRAMP frameworks - You understand the requirements but more importantly, you know how to implement them in modern cloud architectures
• Familiarity with government cloud environments (AWS GovCloud, Azure Government) and CI/CD deployment pipelines that need to work across air-gapped networks
• Proficiency in one or more general-purpose languages (Python, Go, Rust, etc.) - You're not just configuring tools; you're building custom security solutions
• Experience implementing defensive controls for endpoints, SaaS apps, and infrastructure that operates in environments where traditional security assumptions don't apply

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building large-scale log ingestion and storage pipelines that can handle massive data volumes from distributed ground stations
• Hands-on experience with SIEM (Splunk, QRadar, Sentinel, Panther) and endpoint security solutions (CrowdStrike, SentinelOne) in production environments
• Strong Linux experience in production environments - Our ground stations run custom distributions
• Knowledge of DFARS compliance and government contracting security requirements - You've worked where "move fast and break things" meets "don't break national security"
• Familiarity with EMASS or similar government assessment tools
• Demonstrated ability to own complex security projects that directly impact national security missions and interface with government customers who trust you with their most sensitive operations

Additional Requirements

• 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 i