Staff Application Security Engineer

True Anomaly | Aerospace and Defense

1h 56m ago

On-site

Full Time

United States of America

$200k - $305k USD/yr

Title: Staff Application Security Engineer Location: Denver, CO; Long Beach, CA

Space is a warfighting domain. True Anomaly seeks those with the talent and ambition to build the technology that secures it.

OUR MISSION

True Anomaly delivers decisive capabilities for space superiority. We build autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software, and space-based interceptors — enabling the U.S. and its Allies to secure the space environment and counter threats from the ultimate high ground.

OUR VALUES

Be the offset. We create asymmetric advantages with creativity and ingenuity.
What would it take? We challenge assumptions to deliver ambitious results.
It’s the people. Our team is our competitive advantage and we are better together.

BENEFITS & PERKS*

Best-in-class healthcare: 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents, with HSA/HRA options
Generous time off: Flexible Time Off (FTO) for exempt employees, accrued PTO of up to 25 days for non-exempt employees, plus 12 paid holidays; Parental Leave; Sick Leave
Fuel for your day: Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks for in-office employees
And more: 401(k) retirement plan, fitness reimbursement, and Dog Fridays
Equity participation: Equity is included as part of our total compensation package, giving you an opportunity to share in the company’s success.

*Do not apply to fixed term and temporary roles

YOUR MISSION

As a Staff Application Security Engineer, you will be instrumental in implementing and auditing security controls for mission-critical space systems that must meet stringent government compliance requirements. You will work at the intersection of security engineering, compliance frameworks (NIST 800-171/800-53), and modern cloud-native architectures to ensure our satellite mission control software and flight systems meet Department of Defense security standards.

You will design and implement application-level security controls including comprehensive audit logging, incident response capabilities, access controls, and security monitoring—all while working closely with product engineering teams to shift security to ensure optimal outcomes.

If you thrive in a fast-paced environment where you can build security controls from the ground up and see the direct impact of your work on national security space operations, this mission is for you.

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Create security architecture documentation and operational security guides for government authorization processes
Drive vulnerability management program with defined SLAs for remediation (30/90/180 days by severity)
Perform security code reviews for Elixir, Python, C++, and JavaScript codebases
Collaborate in the triage and management of security automations using SAST (CodeQL, Semgrep), SCA (JFrog Xray), and DAST tools
Collaborate with engineering teams to address security findings and implement secure coding practices
Develop and deliver security training to software engineers and systems administrators across the organization
Create and manage incident response playbooks specific to application security events
Evaluate and integrate third-party security solutions to enhance overall security capabilities

QUALIFICATIONS:

10+ years of experience in application security, product security, or security engineering
Hands-on experience implementing security controls for compliance frameworks such as NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, or CMMC
Strong software engineering skills with ability to write production-quality code in at least one language (Python, Rust, Elixir, C++, or similar)
Experience with cloud security (Azure preferred, AWS or GCP acceptable)
Solid understanding of secure architecture principles including:

Threat modeling and risk assessment
Authentication and authorization patterns (OAuth2, JWT, RBAC, ABAC)
Cryptography and key management
Defense-in-depth and Zero Trust principles

Proven ability to work collaboratively with engineering teams to implement security controls without blocking velocity
Eligible for DoD Secret or TS/SCI clearance

PREFERRED SKILLS:

Active TS/SCI clearance or ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance
Direct experience with NIST 800-171 Rev 3 or NIST 800-53 implementation projects (gap analysis, control implementation, evidence collection)
Experience with Department of Defense Impact Levels (IL2/IL4/IL5/IL6) or STIGs (Secure Technical Implementation Guides)
Familiarity with Elixir/Erlang/Phoenix or other functional programming ecosystems (Scala, Haskell, F#, OCaml)
Experience with Azure Government Cloud or other FedRAMP-authorized cloud environments
Experience using Ghommit tool
Background in DevSecOps or Platform Security Engineering:

GitOps workflows and CI/CD security
Infrastructure as Code security (Terraform, Bicep, Pulumi)
Kubernetes security (Pod Security Standards, network policies, service mesh)

Experience with security incident response including detection engineering and SOAR integration
Familiarity with aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated industries (finance, healthcare, critical infrastructure)
Previous experience in startups or fast-paced environments with ability to build processes from scratch

COMPENSATION

Base Salary: Long Beach - $205,000 to $305,000, Denver - $200,000 to $290,000

Equity + Benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, location, and experience.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Work Location—Successful candidates must be located near Denver or Long Beach. Significant work must be done on site. #LI-Onsite
Work environment—the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job.
Physical demands—the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving.

This position will be open until it is successfully filled. To submit your application, please follow the directions below.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

True Anomaly is committed to equal employment opportunity on any basis protected by applicable state and federal laws. If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation, please do not hesitate to let us know.

To protect candidates and our company from application fraud and impersonation, we use third-party tools to verify applicant identity and detect fraudulent applications. Learn more in our Privacy Notice.

Required Skills

pythonc++javascriptcodeqlsemgrepterraform

Required Languages

🇬🇧 English

YOUR MISSION

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Create security architecture documentation and operational security guides for government authorization processes

Drive vulnerability management program with defined SLAs for remediation (30/90/180 days by severity)

Perform security code reviews for Elixir, Python, C++, and JavaScript codebases

Collaborate in the triage and management of security automations using SAST (CodeQL, Semgrep), SCA (JFrog Xray), and DAST tools

Collaborate with engineering teams to address security findings and implement secure coding practices

Develop and deliver security training to software engineers and systems administrators across the organization

Create and manage incident response playbooks specific to application security events

Evaluate and integrate third-party security solutions to enhance overall security capabilities

QUALIFICATIONS:

10+ years of experience in application security, product security, or security engineering

Hands-on experience implementing security controls for compliance frameworks such as NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, or CMMC

Strong software engineering skills with ability to write production-quality code in at least one language (Python, Rust, Elixir, C++, or similar)

Experience with cloud security (Azure preferred, AWS or GCP acceptable)

Solid understanding of secure architecture principles including:

Threat modeling and risk assessment
Authentication and authorization patterns (OAuth2, JWT, RBAC, ABAC)
Cryptography and key management
Defense-in-depth and Zero Trust principles

Proven ability to work collaboratively with engineering teams to implement security controls without blocking velocity

Eligible for DoD Secret or TS/SCI clearance

PREFERRED SKILLS:

Active TS/SCI clearance or ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance

Direct experience with NIST 800-171 Rev 3 or NIST 800-53 implementation projects (gap analysis, control implementation, evidence collection)

Experience with Department of Defense Impact Levels (IL2/IL4/IL5/IL6) or STIGs (Secure Technical Implementation Guides)

Familiarity with Elixir/Erlang/Phoenix or other functional programming ecosystems (Scala, Haskell, F#, OCaml)

Experience with Azure Government Cloud or other FedRAMP-authorized cloud environments

Experience using Ghommit tool

Background in DevSecOps or Platform Security Engineering:

GitOps workflows and CI/CD security
Infrastructure as Code security (Terraform, Bicep, Pulumi)
Kubernetes security (Pod Security Standards, network policies, service mesh)

Experience with security incident response including detection engineering and SOAR integration

Familiarity with aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated industries (finance, healthcare, critical infrastructure)

Previous experience in startups or fast-paced environments with ability to build processes from scratch

COMPENSATION

Base Salary: Long Beach - $205,000 to $305,000, Denver - $200,000 to $290,000

Equity + Benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Work Location—Successful candidates must be located near Denver or Long Beach. Significant work must be done on site. #LI-Onsite

Work environment—the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job.

Physical demands—the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving.

This position will be open until it is successfully filled. To submit your application, please follow the directions below.