Staff Product Security Engineer

Vast; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 186,000; Full time

Job summary

Vast is seeking a Senior Product Security Engineer to enhance security for their innovative space systems. This full-time position involves developing security requirements, ensuring compliance with standards like NIST 800-53, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. Join a mission-driven company committed to advancing space exploration.

Benefits

100% medical, dental, and vision coverage

Flexible paid time off

Paid parental leave

Short and long-term disability insurance

Life insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Free snacks and meals

ClassPass credits

Personalized mental healthcare

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on experience.
• Strong understanding of security architecture and system requirements.
• Experience in security assessments and audits.

Responsibilities

• Developing top-level system requirements and implementation concepts.
• Define security controls for ground, link, and vehicle segments.
• Support compliance efforts related to NIST 800-53.

Skills

Security architecture

Threat modeling

Risk assessment

Security testing methodologies

Cryptographic methods

Access controls

Secure communications protocols

Cross-functional team interaction

Tools

AWS

Job description

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. We are building artificial gravity space stations, allowing long-term stays in space without the adverse effects of zero-gravity. Our initial crewed space habitat will be Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station when it launches into low earth orbit in May 2026. Our team is all-in, committed to executing our mission safely and on time. If you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity, come join us.

Vast is looking for a Senior Product Security Engineer, reporting to the Information Security Manager, to assist in the management of the design, implementation, and validation of security requirements across all segments of Vast’s mission systems.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.

Responsibilities:

• Developing top-level system requirements, and flowing down requirements and implementation concepts to subsystem
• Define security development and test efforts implementation of security controls of components for the ground, link, and vehicle segments
• Support developing plans and estimates, task execution, project tracking, reporting, and risk identification and mitigation plans
• Interact with other functions to coordinate requirements, solutions, trades, costs, implementation, system impacts, and effectiveness
• Support compliance efforts as it relates to NIST 800-53

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+ years of hands-on experience
• Strong understanding of security architecture, system requirements development, and implementation concepts for complex systems
• Hands-on experience with threat modeling, risk assessment, and security testing methodologies
• Familiarity with cryptographic methods, access controls, and secure communications protocols
• Experience supporting project planning, task execution, reporting, and risk management
• Strong ability to interact with cross-functional teams to align security requirements, trade-offs, and system impacts
• Experience in security assessments, audits, and remediation planning

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Understanding of compliance requirements and certifications like NIST 800-53
• Understanding of the SPARTA framework
• Prior experience developing, implementing, and validating a security features for a space system
• Familiarity operating in AWS
• Prior experience working in a fast-paced startup environment.

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time
• Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones

Pay Range:

• Senior Product Security Engineer - $135,000 - $186,000

Salary Range: California

$135,000—$186,000 USD

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Base salary will vary depending on job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand. Salary is just one component of our comprehensive compensation package. Full-time employees also receive company equity, as well as access to a full suite of compelling benefits and perks, including: 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, flexible paid time off for exempt staff and up to 10 days of vacation for non-exempt staff, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, One Medical membership, ClassPass credits, personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health, and other discounts and perks.We also take pride in offering exceptional food perks, with snacks, drip coffee, cold drinks, and dinner meals remaining free of charge, and lunch subsidized as part of Vast’s ongoing commitment to providing high-quality meals for employees.

U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS

The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. This status includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Vast is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Vast 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.