Principal Cloud Security Engineer

Rocket Lab Corporation•Long Beach, CA

6d•$152,300 - $165,000•Onsite

About The Position

Based onsite at Rocket Lab's office in Long Beach, CA the Principal Cloud Security Engineer must demonstrate a firm grasp of cloud-first, automated, API-driven security and statistical risk concepts and communication. They will work on securing all facets of Rocket Lab’s cloud presence: the wide array of vendor services, code pipelines deploying into prod and non-prod environments, and automation performing an assortment of business-critical operations. They will provide analyses including quantifiable statistical information regarding IT and Cybersecurity risk to business partners with fiduciary responsibility. They will support the IT organization to develop a secure, reliable, and fiercely efficient platform to empower the Rocket Lab’s objectives as a rapidly growing multinational space company.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in scripting languages (e.g., Bash, PowerShell, Python) and configuration management/infrastructure as code tools (e.g., Puppet, Ansible, Terraform).
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent years of work experience (16+ years of total work experience)
Proven experience in cloud security architecture, design, and implementation across major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
Hands-on experience with cloud security tools and services (e.g., AWS Security Hub, Azure Security Center, Google Cloud Security Command Center).
Experience working under US Government compliance regimes (e.g., CMMC, NIST, DISA STIG) and ITIL/Change Review systems.
Proficiency in vulnerability management systems (e.g., Tenable, Bringa) and CLI scanning tools (e.g., Trivy, OpenSCAP).
Extensive experience with git-driven version control systems (e.g., GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket).
Strong understanding of networking concepts, encryption techniques, and secure communication protocols.
Experience with databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, SQLite) and data formats (e.g., Parquet, Arrow).
Proficiency in analytics systems (e.g., PowerBI, Jupyter) and vendor-agnostic assessment engines (e.g., Cloud Custodian, Panther).
U.S. citizenship is required, due to program requirements.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in computer science, information technology, cybersecurity, or equivalent career experience
Involvement with community cybersecurity organizations
AWS GovCloud / Azure GCC High
CI/CD pipeline security
Tier 2 cloud vendors
Hybrid cloud engineering
SAST and DAST testing
Secrets management / vaults / HSMs
Cloud incident response / forensics
Log aggregators like Graylog, ELK, or Splunk

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and maintain security controls for hybrid cloud-based environments, including infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), software as a service (SaaS), and function as a service (FaaS) solutions.
Design and develop custom automation in pursuit of cyber team objectives.
Provide security support for internal and external design reviews related to security.
Conduct security assessments and risk analyses to identify vulnerabilities and develop mitigation strategies for automated infrastructure such as public cloud, CI/CD pipelines, and agentic systems.
Work with Infrastructure Operations to Implement and manage identity and access management (IAM) solutions to control access to cloud resources and applications.
Develop documentation, plans, and proofs of concept for cybersecurity-related platform improvements.
Configure and monitor cloud security tools and services.
Collaborate with development teams to integrate security best practices into the software development lifecycle (SDLC), DevOps, and MLOps processes.
Maintain systems to help the team stay up-to-date on emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and industry best practices related to DevSecOps/MLOps and recommend proactive measures to enhance security posture.
Provide guidance and support to internal teams on security-related matters, including incident response, compliance, and security awareness training.
Participate in regular security audits, assessments, and compliance reviews to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements and industry standards.

Benefits

Company stock as part of your total compensation package
Employee Stock Purchase Program (with a 15% discount on company stock)
Top-tier medical plans (HMO, PPO, and a zero cost HDHP option with a significant HSA company contribution)
Dental and vision coverage
Paid vacation and sick time
11 paid holidays
Flexible spending and dependent care accounts
Paid parental leave
Disability and life insurance
401(k) retirement plan with company match
Subsidized EV charging
Onsite fitness centers (where available)
Discounted gym memberships
Complimentary snacks and beverages
50% employee discount on our popular merch store
Variety of other employee discounts