Senior Crypto Security Engineer

Title:

Senior Crypto Security Engineer Belong. Connect. Grow. with K ! K ’s National Security Solutions team provides high-end engineering and advanced technology solutions to our customers in the intelligence and national security communities. In this position, your work will have a profound impact on the country’s most critical role – protecting our national security. K  is seeking a motivated and experienced Cryptography Subject Matter Expert to join our team in El Segundo, CA.

The MSEIT effort provides leading-edge Systems Engineering & Integration (SE& I) for the United States Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC). We acquire state-of-the-art Military and Commercial Satellite Communications (SATCOM) systems, providing global, secure, survivable, and protected communications for our nation’s warfighters. We seek technical individuals who will thrive in a highly collaborative work environment of small teams, using the most modern tools and methodologies to tackle the challenges of integrating complex space and ground communications systems.

K ’s work is at the forefront of engineering, logistics, operations, science, program management, mission IT and cybersecurity solutions.

Be part of a dynamic team that thrives on collaboration and innovation, fostering a supportive and intellectually stimulating workplace.

Your contributions will be pivotal in designing and optimizing defense systems that ensure national security and shape the future of space defense.

• Provide technical expertise in the development, integration, and delivery of both space and ground cryptographic units, ensuring all solutions align with mission objectives and system requirements.
• Lead spacecraft cryptographic unit trade studies, evaluating candidate solutions against requirements, interface constraints, environmental considerations, performance criteria, and testability.
• Deliver clear, data‑driven recommendations to program leadership and customers.
• Oversee the technical design, interface definition, development, and delivery of needed encryption units, including hardware and firmware.
• Ensure compatibility with subsystems and compliance with mission, cybersecurity, and interface standards.
• Manage technical design, interface definition, development, and delivery of needed encryption units, ensuring proper integration with ground systems, mission operations, and secure architectures.
• Support and oversee all testing activities for encryption units including dry runs and SVT.
• Ensure successful completion of verification and validation campaigns by developing or reviewing test plans, procedures, and reports.
• Participate in TRRs, dry run, SVTs, participate in CDRL review, address anomalies, and ensure full requirement traceability.
• Provide supplemental support for Protected Key Management Architecture (PKMA) including secure key management processes, documentation, and architecture alignment.
• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with government customers, contractors, subcontractors, and FFRDC partners.
• Represent the crypto engineering function in design reviews, technical interchange meetings, and program‑level forums.
• Lead and mentor engineers (junior to mid‑level), including task assignment, technical reviews, and professional development.
• Oversee crypto lifecycle management.
• Manage technical scope, priorities, and dependencies for cryptographic tasks within program schedules and constraints.
• Establish and enforce cryptographic standards and best practices across programs and platforms.

• Location:
  
  On‑site
• Travel Requirements:
  About once monthly
• Working Hours:
  
  Standard

Required:

An active TS/SCI is required for this position Bachelors degree Understanding of the discipline and practice of Systems Engineering throughout the system lifecycle phases of concept, development, production, operations, and sustainment 15+ years’ experience with systems engineering, which may include crypto, cyber security, requirements development, verification, integration, and test 10+ years’ experience with crypto, NSA certification processes, and Key Management…