Senior Systems Security Engineer

nou Systems, Inc.; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical plan with Health Savings

401(k) Retirement Plan

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

nou Systems, Inc. seeks a Senior Systems Security Engineer to lead integration of security into complex mission-system engineering.

You will translate protection needs into requirements, shape architectures, and develop evidence to support confidence in system security. The role collaborates with systems, hardware, software, test, safety, and program teams throughout the lifecycle, requiring independent judgment, hands-on artifact development, and the ability to communicate security tradeoffs

Qualifications

• Experience in systems security engineering for complex systems lifecycle
• Ability to apply SSE life cycle processes per NIST and related standards
• Experience developing verifiable requirements, architecture descriptions, and interface specs
• Understanding of trust boundaries, security mechanisms, threat analysis and risk
• Ability to lead technical work independently and mentor colleagues
• Degree in systems engineering, electrical or computer engineering, CS, cybersecurity, or equivalent experience

Responsibilities

• Lead stakeholder discussions to define mission context, assets and protection priorities
• Develop and allocate security requirements to system elements with traceability
• Evaluate security architectures across hardware, software, networks, and interfaces
• Apply secure design principles and document rationale for protection
• Perform threat and vulnerability analyses and recommend mitigations
• Conduct trade studies balancing protection with mission performance and cost
• Guide implementation of security requirements and review supplier deliverables
• Develop security verification and validation strategies and tests
• Maintain security assurance cases and identify evidence gaps
• Integrate security activities into engineering plans and change control
• Support secure transition, operation, and disposal with engineering evidence
• Establish reusable SSE artifacts and review practices for teams

Skills

Security engineering

NIST SP 800-160

Requirements traceability

Threat analysis

Independent leadership

Education

BS in engineering or related field

Tools

MBSE tools

Requirements management tools

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Senior Systems Security Engineer

nou Systems, Inc. (nSI) is a 100% ESOP company! We value teamwork and collaboration, and this transition allows us to take that commitment to a new level. nSI empowers our customers by supplying products, services, and expertise with powerful, data driven insights that transform defense systems and improve capabilities.

nou Systems, Inc. (nSI) is seeking a Senior Systems Security Engineer to lead the integration of security into the engineering of complex mission systems. Applying the principles and practices of systems security engineering, the engineer will translate customer protection needs into requirements, shape system architectures and designs, and develop evidence that supports confidence in system security.

The successful candidate will work with systems, hardware, software, test, safety, and program teams throughout the system life cycle, from concept development and acquisition through operation, sustainment, and disposal. This senior technical role requires independent engineering judgment, hands-on development and review of technical artifacts, and the ability to explain security tradeoffs and residual risk to customers and program leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead stakeholder discussions to define mission context, assets, loss concerns, protection priorities, operational environments, and measurable security objectives.
• Develop and analyze stakeholder and system security requirements; allocate requirements to system elements and interfaces; and maintain traceability to protection needs, design decisions, and verification evidence.
• Develop and evaluate security architectures and designs across hardware, software, networks, physical elements, and human interactions, including system boundaries, trust relationships, and external dependencies.
• Apply secure design principles such as least privilege, isolation, least functionality, and protective failure; document the rationale for selected mechanisms and the assumptions on which protection depends.
• Perform threat, vulnerability, and system security analyses to identify paths to unacceptable loss, including malicious activity, errors, faults, and misuse. Recommend mitigations and characterize remaining uncertainty.
• Conduct engineering trade studies that balance protection and assurance needs with mission performance, safety, reliability, cost, schedule, and life cycle constraints.
• Guide implementation and integration of security requirements; review technical specifications and supplier deliverables; and assess whether composed system elements preserve required security properties.
• Develop security verification and validation strategies, acceptance criteria, and test procedures. Evaluate whether implementation satisfies requirements and whether the delivered system meets stakeholder protection needs in its intended environment.
• Develop and maintain security assurance cases that link explicit claims, structured arguments, assumptions, and credible evidence. Identify evidence gaps and communicate their effect on confidence and risk.
• Integrate security activities into engineering plans, technical reviews, configuration management, and change control. Assess the security effects of design changes, upgrades, supplier substitutions, and sustainment actions.
• Support secure transition, operation, maintenance, and disposal, including protection of sensitive assets. Provide engineering evidence for customer acceptance and authorization decisions, and mentor engineers in repeatable SSE practices.
• Establish reusable SSE artifacts and review practices and help engineering teams apply them to active program work.

Basic Qualifications

• Substantial experience in systems security engineering or security architecture for complex systems, including responsibility for requirements, design decisions, technical reviews, and evaluation activities.
• Ability to apply NIST SP 800-160 Volume 1 principles and System Security Engineering (SSE) life cycle processes within a multidisciplinary systems engineering effort.
• Experience developing verifiable requirements, architecture descriptions, interface specifications, engineering analyses, and traceability records.
• Practical understanding of trust boundaries, security mechanisms, threat and vulnerability analysis, and the interactions among hardware, software, network, physical, and human system elements.
• Experience planning or conducting security verification and validation, assessing test and analysis results, and developing reasoned conclusions from technical evidence.
• Ability to lead technical work independently, resolve competing engineering priorities, mentor colleagues, and communicate tradeoffs and residual risk to technical and executive audiences.
• A degree in systems engineering, electrical or computer engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Must complete applicable nSI pre-employment checks and employment eligibility verification.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain any security clearance or customer access required for the assigned program.
• Must follow applicable customer security policies, technical data handling requirements, and program procedures.
• May travel to customer or nSI locations as required by the assignment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting DoD or other Federal missions.
• Experience with Embedded or Cyber-Physical systems.
• Experience using Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and Requirements Management tools.
• Experience developing security assurance cases and familiarity with ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288.
• Experience connecting SSE artifacts to Risk Management Framework and Program Protection activities.
• Relevant systems engineering or security engineering certifications.

nou (pronounced 'new') Systems

Since its founding in 2012, nou Systems has built a reputation for excellence in innovative engineering, prototype development, and technical and professional services in multiple markets, including missile defense, cybersecurity, test range modernization, and space control. Our diverse and highly skilled team delivers state-of-the-art products from concepts and prototypes to fully developed and integrated solutions.

We offer significant advancement and personal career development opportunities within our dynamic high-tech company. Our culture is firmly established in treating our employees like family.

Benefits of working at nSI

nou Systems, Inc. offers a comprehensive, total rewards package that includes competitive compensation and diverse benefits that reflect our company culture of service, excellence, and a supportive work environment. Benefits may vary based on status but the majority of our positions include the following:

• Competitive Wages*
• Medical plan with Health Savings Account eligibility
• Company-funded Life, Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Personal Time Off, Vacation, and Paid Holidays
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Norton LifeLock
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Personal Development, Technical Learning Opportunities, & Lunch-n-Learns
• Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach

*Final compensation for this position is determined by a variety of factors, such as a candidate’s relevant work experience, skills, certifications, and geographic location.

nSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Employment opportunities at nSI are based upon a candidate’s qualifications and capabilities to perform the essential functions of a particular job and are free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. For our complete EEO/AA and Pay Transparency statement, please visit www.nou-systems.com/workingatnou . U.S. citizenship is required for most positions.