SOC Cybersecurity Lead Engineer — TS/SCI

Apex; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Healthcare coverage

PTO 15-20 days

401(k) match

Parental leave

Lunch & snacks

Community events

Modern office

Impact opportunity

Job summary

Apex, a space-focused aerospace startup in Playa Vista, seeks a Lead Cybersecurity Engineer to run the Security Operations Center. You will oversee proactive threat detection, incident response, and a team of SOC analysts and engineers, reporting to the Director of IT & Cybersecurity.

This role requires 7+ years in cybersecurity, 2–3 years in leadership, TS/SCI clearance, and expertise with SIEMs, EDR/XDR, IDS/IPS, and scripting.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in cybersecurity operations, with 2–3 years in a leadership role.
• TS/SCI security clearance required.
• CISSP, CISM, GIAC GCIH, or CompTIA Security+ is a plus.
• Proficiency in security tools (SIEM, EDR/XDR, IDS/IPS, CASB/SASE, Nessus, Burp Suite, firewalls) and scripting (Python/PowerShell).
• Strong networking, OS knowledge (Windows/MacOS/Linux), and leadership under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the SOC team, including hiring and performance reviews.
• Oversee threat monitoring, triage, containment, and post-incident analysis.
• Conduct threat hunting, malware analysis, and investigations.
• Tune SIEM/EDR/IDS, vulnerability management, and build playbooks.
• Develop KPIs, dashboards, and executive threat reports.
• Contribute to SOC strategy, risk assessments, and audits.
• Coordinate with stakeholders during active threats and escalations.
• Ensure 24/7 SOC coverage and drive continuous process improvements.
• Support ITAR/compliance activities and accreditation efforts.
• Assist with daily IT tickets when needed.

Skills

SOC leadership

Threat detection

Incident response

SIEM tools

Networking fundamentals

Python/PowerShell

Communication

Tools

Elastic SIEM

EDR/XDR

IDS/IPS

Nessus

Burp Suite

Firewalls

Python

PowerShell

Job description

Apex, a space-focused aerospace startup in Playa Vista, seeks a Lead Cybersecurity Engineer to run the Security Operations Center. You will oversee proactive threat detection, incident response, and a team of SOC analysts and engineers, reporting to the Director of IT & Cybersecurity.

This role requires 7+ years in cybersecurity, 2–3 years in leadership, TS/SCI clearance, and expertise with SIEMs, EDR/XDR, IDS/IPS, and scripting.