Security Software Engineer - Top Secret Clearance

Security Software Engineer – Top Secret Clearance

Hawthorne, CA

Space

X was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today Space

X is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

SECURITY SOFTWARE ENGINEER – TOP SECRET CLEARANCE

As a Security Software Engineer for the Special Programs team, you will contribute to the software development lifecycle for both application and hardware systems, particularly in U.S. Government and ITAR-controlled environments. Expertise in cybersecurity fundamentals and familiarity with ITAR regulations will be beneficial to securely handle ITAR-controlled technical data and payloads. A successful Security Software Engineer will see the big picture, prioritize accordingly, and be comfortable working at different levels of abstraction.

Ideal candidates will have notable skills in one or more of the following:

• Application security
• Applied cryptography
• Network security
• Operating system security
• Secure/authenticated boot
• Incident response and adversary detection
• Vulnerability research

Being flexible, communicating clearly, and establishing and maintaining productive working relationships with other engineering teams are paramount to success here. If you are passionate about building quality products, love the challenges of outsmarting adversaries, and want to make an impact on an interplanetary scale, then you will fit right in.

• Maintain existing production systems and improve security posture via both direct implementation and recommendations to other teams
• Build prototypes and help identify, design, and test security improvements
• Implement and promote secure coding practices and software development security methodologies throughout the development lifecycle
• Implement and enforce secure coding practices (SAST, DAST, threat modeling) throughout the software development lifecycle
• Work closely with software engineers to set software needs, ensure hardware and software integrate smoothly, troubleshoot and fix major system problems
• Partner with various teams to define software requirements, system design, and integration strategies
• Review and guide software development for ITAR‑controlled payloads, following all export laws and company rules strictly
• Ensure all software work and outputs meet U.S. Government standards and ITAR regulations
• Handle ITAR systems extensively, including controlling access to sensitive technical data and complying with all relevant rules
• Create and update detailed software documentation, including design specs, test plans, verification steps, and reports needed for U.S. Government contracts and ITAR compliance

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or another STEM discipline; or 2+ years of professional experience in security software development in lieu of a degree
• Experience with one or more software development languages (i.e. Python, C++, Golang)
• Experience designing and implementing security solutions for operating systems, distributed systems, or other enterprise/large‑scale infrastructure

• Experience contributing security improvements to complex systems
• Fundamental understanding of network protocols; including the TCP/IP stack as well as UDP based protocols
• Experienced in navigating large, complex, interactive systems
• Flexibility, communicating clearly, and establishing and maintaining productive working relationships with other engineering teams
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to work both independently and in a team
• Demonstrated ability to deal with ambiguity and to learn new technologies quickly
• Experience with U.S. Government contracts, including knowledge of government standards and procurement processes
• Deep knowledge and practical experience with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)
• Experience with software version control (e.g. Git), CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing tools
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills for troubleshooting complex software‑hardware integration issues
• Active Top…