Security Lead

northwoodspace • Los Angeles, CA

36d

About The Position

Northwood is deploying a global network of phased array ground stations that will fundamentally change how satellites communicate with Earth. These systems support real-time, high-throughput communications that commercial and government customers rely on for mission-critical operations. As a Senior Security Engineer, you will design and implement security architectures for infrastructure that simply does not exist anywhere else. This is an opportunity to define the security posture of a rapidly scaling space-communications network—where the stakes include national security, global communications integrity, and uninterrupted mission operations.

Requirements

• Strong experience conducting security architecture reviews in regulated, high-assurance environments.
• Deep understanding of NIST 800-171, CUI, FedRAMP, and secure cloud implementation patterns.
• Proficiency in Python, Go, Rust, or similar languages for building automation and custom security tooling.
• Hands-on experience securing AWS GovCloud or other government cloud environments.
• Experience implementing defensive controls across endpoints, SaaS, and distributed/edge infrastructure.
• Ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Experience designing large-scale log ingestion pipelines for distributed systems with massive telemetry volumes.
• Hands-on experience with SIEMs (Splunk, QRadar, Sentinel, Panther) and modern EDR platforms.
• 5+ years of production experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, AWS CDK); you treat security configuration as code.
• Strong Linux experience, ideally with custom or specialized distributions.
• Knowledge of DFARS and government contracting security requirements.
• Familiarity with EMASS or similar assessment and accreditation tools.
• Demonstrated experience leading security efforts tied to government or national security missions.

Responsibilities

• Security Architecture & Infrastructure
• Design security from the ground up for brand-new ground station infrastructure, RF systems, and space-communication protocols
• Design, build, and maintain scalable, zero-trust architectures across cloud, edge, and physical ground station systems.
• Conduct security architecture reviews for highly regulated and mission-critical environments where “good enough” is not acceptable.
• Implement identity, secrets management, network segmentation, and encryption models across globally distributed systems.
• Global Ground Station & Distributed Systems Security
• Secure phased-array networks capable of tracking hundreds of satellites across multiple orbits simultaneously.
• Design and implement controls for distributed, latency-sensitive systems spanning continents.
• Develop and deploy detection, logging, and telemetry pipelines
• Threat Detection, Incident Response & Monitoring
• Lead incident response, threat hunting, and forensic analysis across cloud, on-prem, RF, and edge computing environments.
• Deploy and manage enterprise SIEM platforms (Splunk, Sentinel, Panther, etc.) and endpoint solutions (CrowdStrike, SentinelOne).
• Establish continuous monitoring strategies tailored for nontraditional environments where standard corporate controls don’t apply.
• Governance, Compliance & Security Programs
• Build automated CI/CD-integrated compliance pipelines that satisfy FedRAMP, DFARS, NIST 800-171, and internal program requirements without slowing engineering velocity.
• Create security documentation, standards, and processes for internal and external audits.
• Interface directly with government customers, serving as a trusted security liaison.
• Policies, Risk Management & Security Operations
• Conduct risk assessments, vulnerability analyses, and mitigation planning for cloud, physical, and RF assets.
• Establish security policies, procedures, and governance frameworks appropriate for national-security-grade infrastructure.
• Provide guidance on endpoint security, SaaS hardening, and cloud security across AWS, GovCloud, and air-gapped environments.
• Work hand in hand with vendors on Red Teaming Northwoods corp and production systems
• Cross-Functional & Leadership Responsibilities
• Collaborate with engineering, network operations, RF, and compliance teams as a primary security subject-matter expert.
• Develop internal security awareness and training (where applicable) for engineering orgs.
• Drive complex, multi-stakeholder security initiatives with direct impact on national security missions.

Benefits

• Build security systems for infrastructure that has never existed before.
• Direct impact on missions that matter- to national security, global communications, and commercial space innovation.
• Fast-moving hardware + cloud + RF environment with no legacy constraints.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees