Security Assurance Lead

The Role

The Security Assurance Lead will build and lead the elite security testing and assurance organization. You will be responsible for defining the security governance framework that spans our entire ecosystem-from firmware and hardware manufacturing to cloud-based CI/CD and orbital spacecraft systems. You will lead a multi-disciplinary team of red teamers, vulnerability researchers, and penetration testers, acting as the final arbiter on security readiness before launch or deployment.

Key Responsibilities

• Security Strategy & Governance: Define the organizational testing strategy, security KPIs, and risk management frameworks to guide secure product development.
• Strategic Team Leadership: Build, scale, and mentor a world-class security assurance team comprising red teamers, firmware fuzzing experts, penetration testers, and security researchers.
• Multi-Domain Assurance: Oversee end-to-end security validation across all domains:
• Embedded & Spacecraft: Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) security assessments for satellite buses and payloads.
• Supply Chain & Launch: Verification of anti-counterfeiting measures, chain-of-custody, and launch site integration security.
• Cloud & Infrastructure: High-assurance testing of CI/CD pipelines, container orchestration (K8s), and ground-based data links.
• Go/No-Go Leadership: Own the "Security Sign-off" for mission-critical software and hardware releases. Establish thresholds for vulnerability remediation and operational risk.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with the leads of Supply Chain Security, Platform Trust, and Terminal Security to translate deep-dive research findings into systemic architectural improvements.
• Adversarial Modeling: Lead red team exercises that simulate sophisticated, long-term threats to space and ground systems, ensuring we move beyond reactive testing to proactive resilience.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related field (Master's degree/PhD preferred).
• 10-12+ years of experience in security engineering, with at least 5+ years in a senior leadership or management capacity leading offensive security or assurance teams.
• Demonstrable experience leading security assurance programs for complex, safety-critical systems (aerospace, defense, critical infrastructure).
• Strong knowledge of industry standards (NIST SP 800-series, FIPS, SLSA, etc.) and deep expertise in zero-trust architectures.

Must-Have Skills

• Strategic Leadership: Ability to translate technical vulnerabilities into business/mission risk for executive leadership.
• Offensive Security Expertise: Proven track record in red teaming, penetration testing, and vulnerability discovery across embedded and cloud environments.
• Risk Management: Experience defining security gates, remediation priorities, and launch-readiness criteria.
• Organizational Scaling: Experience recruiting, retaining, and developing high-performing, multi-disciplinary security teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with space-based communication systems, SATCOM, or complex RF environments.
• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance or the ability to obtain one.
• Experience representing security posture to external regulators, DoD partners, or executive stakeholders.