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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Principal Cybersecurity Engineer (Starshield) - **Company:** Space Exploration Technologies Corp. - **Location:** Washington, DC, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $225,000.0 - $340,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Computer Networks, Computer Engineering, Red Team (Cyber Security), Information Technology, Cybercrime, Cyber Warfare, Blue Team (Cyber Security) - **Published:** September 17, 2026 - **Apply:** https://diversityjobs.com/main/sendform/8/8/28176/1/18361179?backUrl=%2Fcareer%2F18361179%2FPrincipal-Cybersecurity-Engineer-Starshield-D-C-Washington ## About the Role * Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer security, or a similar field, and 7+ years of professional experience in cybersecurity for active production systems; OR 10+ years of experience in cybersecurity for active production systems. * Experience leading a team of direct reports. * Experience in implementing systems for adversary detection and incident response. PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: * Expertise in computer networks and large-scale distributed compute platforms. * Experience leading a team of 3-5 engineers on a technical project in cybersecurity. * Expertise in vulnerability discovery and triage. * Experience in continuity of operations planning. * Experience with performing Blue Team or Red Team assessments. * Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to nontechnical audiences. * Ability to deal with ambiguity and to learn new technologies quickly. * Advanced degree in a technical or engineering discipline. * Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance., * To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. * 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. * 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here. ## Description * Lead a team of cybersecurity engineers. This team's priority is to be prepared for immediate response to any active threat against our systems. * Implement Starshield's cyber defense strategy. Continually assess the landscape of cyber threats and develop specific countermeasures for the Starshield systems. Continually run "red-team" style exercises to both discover vulnerabilities as well as to practice the tactics the team will deploy in the event of attacks. * Lead vulnerability discovery efforts across Starshield. Run internal bug hunts to search for undiscovered vulnerabilities. Develop a team culture of continual curiosity and open-ended exploration. Utilize the latest tools, including AI, to accelerate both discovery and fixing of bugs in the system. * Drive improvements into our incident discovery and response. This team will collaborate closely with the team building the internal systems we use to detect security events, and help drive improvement in our ability to discover active attempts at network intrusions. * Work across teams to get results. This team will collaborate closely with the engineers implementing security features into our systems, as well as the team developing our internal incident discovery tools., * Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed. * This position requires successfully obtaining and maintaining a Top Secret Security Clearance as a condition of employment. While the clearance may not be immediately necessary upon hire, we encourage you to initiate the application process promptly upon accepting this offer. Your ability to secure the necessary clearance is essential for fulfilling key responsibilities of the role. Should you be unable to obtain it, SpaceX reserves the right to modify or terminate your employment to align with operational needs. ## Related Videos - [Checkmate: 5 Real Incidents That Can End a Software Company](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100126-checkmate-5-real-incidents-that-can-end-a-software-company) - [Fighting the Next Wave of Cybercrime](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100331-fighting-the-next-wave-of-cybercrime) - [Thinking Differently - How to Make Money from Cyber Attacks & Cheats](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/745-thinking-differently-how-to-make-money-from-cyber-attacks-cheats) - [Security Pitfalls for Software Engineers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/726-security-pitfalls-for-software-engineers) - [Deep Fakes: The Lies We Can’t See](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1187-deep-fakes-the-lies-we-can-t-see) - [Cyber Security: Small, and Large!](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/259-cyber-security-small-and-large) ## Related Articles - [Dev Digest 134 - Where pixels sing?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/477-dev-digest-134-where-pixels-sing) - [9 Ways to Make Money Hacking](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/333-9-ways-to-make-money-hacking) - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [How We Built a Worry-Free System That Runs for 10+ Years – And What We’d Do Again](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/751-how-we-built-a-worry-free-system-that-runs-for-10-years-and-what-we-d-do-again) - [Best Paying Jobs in Technology](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/256-best-paying-jobs-in-technology) - [A Guide to Green Tech and Green IT Careers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/374-a-guide-to-green-tech-and-green-it-careers)