Application Security Engineer

Space Exploration Technologies • Hawthorne, CA

77d • $130,000 - $175,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

As a member of the SpaceX Security Engineering organization, the Application Security Engineer will act as a trusted partner to development and business teams, ensuring that security considerations are addressed without slowing down delivery. This role requires strong communication skills, the ability to translate security requirements into practical guidance, and a collaborative mindset to balance business priorities with risk reduction.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in information systems, information security, computer science, or computer engineering and 1+ years of information security, networking and/or systems administration experience (internships and co-ops may qualify); or 4+ years of information security experience without a degree.
• Experience with secure code development practices.
• Experience with common programming languages (e.g., Python, GO, C#, or Rust) and the ability to identify insecure coding practices.
• Experience with Linux, Windows, and Mac system internals.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with threat modeling and secure architecture design.
• Familiarity with cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their native security controls.
• Familiarity with developing web-based APIs, HTTP-RPC, and REST.
• Knowledge of automation/scripting (Python, Bash, PowerShell) to streamline assessments and reporting.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate technical findings into business impacts.
• Relevant certifications (OSWE, OSCP, GWAPT, or equivalent).
• Familiarity with enterprise security controls and security best practices for Windows, Linux, and Mac systems.
• Effective problem-solving skills, and ability to quickly determine root-causes of issues.
• Familiarity with macOS and Windows code-signing and deployment of enterprise applications.

Responsibilities

• Serving as a primary point of contact between Security Engineering and development teams for security reviews.
• Supporting developers in understanding and implementing secure design practices.
• Ensuring security findings are communicated in a way that is clear, actionable, and aligned to business objectives.
• Partnering with other security sub-teams (e.g., compliance, infrastructure, detection/response) to maintain consistency across security initiatives.
• Building productive relationships with stakeholders across SpaceX to foster a culture of security awareness and shared responsibility.
• Perform comprehensive security reviews of applications and services developed across SpaceX.
• Evaluate architecture, authentication/authorization flows, data handling, and exposure to external entities.
• Document findings with actionable recommendations for remediation.
• Collaborate with development teams to ensure issues are understood and addressed before release.
• Escalate critical risks to leadership promptly while providing balanced options for mitigation.
• Participate in peer review of security assessments to maintain quality and consistency.
• Provide input on improving team processes, documentation, and standards.
• Share lessons learned from reviews and projects to help scale security knowledge across SpaceX.

Benefits

• Base salary range for Security Engineer/Level I: $130,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year.
• Base salary range for Security Engineer/Level II: $145,000.00 - $175,000.00 per year.
• Eligibility for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards.
• Potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
• Access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage.
• Access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
• Short and long-term disability insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Paid parental leave.
• Accrual of 3 weeks of paid vacation and eligibility for 10 or more paid holidays per year.
• Paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees