Starshield Cybersecurity Lead Engineer

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 225,000 - 340,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Long-term incentives

401(k)

Medical, vision, dental

Paid parental leave

3 weeks vacation + 10+ holidays

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Principal Cybersecurity Engineer for the Starshield program in Washington, DC. You will lead a team defending a global satellite constellation, applying cutting-edge cyber defense, red-team testing, and vulnerability discovery.

The role demands leadership, deep security expertise, and the ability to communicate complex concepts to nontechnical stakeholders. A Top Secret clearance is required or pursued, with a competitive compensation package.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer security, or a similar field; 7+ years in cybersecurity for active production systems, or 10+ years total.
• Experience leading a team of direct reports.
• Experience implementing systems for adversary detection and incident response.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of cybersecurity engineers with a focus on rapid response to active threats.
• Implement Starshield cyber defense strategy and conduct red-team style exercises.
• Oversee vulnerability discovery through bug hunts and open-ended exploration.
• Improve incident discovery and response by collaborating with internal security tooling teams.
• Collaborate with product and engineering teams to deploy security features.

Skills

Team Leadership

Adversary Detection

Blue/Red Team

Clear Communication

Ambiguity Tolerance

Security Clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/CE/Sec

Advanced technical degree

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Principal Cybersecurity Engineer for the Starshield program in Washington, DC. You will lead a team defending a global satellite constellation, applying cutting-edge cyber defense, red-team testing, and vulnerability discovery.

The role demands leadership, deep security expertise, and the ability to communicate complex concepts to nontechnical stakeholders. A Top Secret clearance is required or pursued, with a competitive compensation package.