Staff Mission Security Engineer, Build

Description

The company builds autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software, and space-based interceptors that help the U.S. and its Allies secure space and counter threats there.

This is a hands-on senior role building the infrastructure for classified IT environments that support U.S. Government programs up to TS/SCI and Special Access Programs.

You join the Mission Security Engineering team and turn system requirements into working infrastructure across several classification levels and sites in the United States.

You own the full infrastructure stack, from facility readiness and power and cooling through cabling, network architecture, server deployment, and system integration.

The work is execution-focused and suits an engineer who is comfortable both coordinating with facilities crews and building servers and networks.

Responsibilities

• Assess facilities and infrastructure readiness for classified IT deployments up to TS/SCI and SAP levels, covering power, space, cooling, fire suppression, and environmental needs.
• Design and coordinate classified data center power, including primary and backup feeds, UPS systems, PDUs, filtration, circuit requirements, and grounding.
• Specify cooling for these sites, including CRAC capacity, HVAC integration, airflow, hot and cold aisle layout, and environmental monitoring.
• Design rack layouts and elevations with specifications, cable management, in-rack power, weight and load figures, and physical security.
• Design and build structured cabling, including fiber backbones, copper runs, patch panels, trays, pathways, labeling, and cable management.
• Coordinate single-mode and multi-mode fiber runs, terminations, OTDR testing, loss budgets, and fiber path records across classified facilities.
• Ground and bond IT equipment, racks, and telecom infrastructure to TIA/EIA standards and classified facility requirements.
• Implement ICD 705 physical security, including RF shielding, power line filters, penetrations such as waveguides and conduits, TEMPEST countermeasures, and acoustic protection.
• Work with facilities teams, electricians, HVAC technicians, and contractors so power, cooling, lighting, fire suppression, and ICD 705 systems meet classified operations requirements.
• Build and configure physical and virtual servers, including hardware assembly, BIOS and firmware settings, Windows Server, RHEL, and Ubuntu installs, and initial hardening.
• Rack and stack servers, network gear, storage, and security appliances on site, keeping cabling, labels, and physical controls in order.
• Deploy switches, routers, firewalls, and boundary protection devices that meet DoD APL and TAA requirements.
• Configure VLANs, BGP and OSPF routing, VPNs, access control lists, and security group policies for operations across multiple enclaves.
• Deploy SAN, NAS, and DAS storage with zoning, LUN masking, and multipathing for high-availability systems.
• Set up VMware ESXi, Hyper-V, or KVM with resource allocation, networking, and storage integration.
• Install and configure temperature and humidity sensors, water detection, and alerting.
• Set up physical controls for classified IT assets, including rack access, equipment locks, tamper-evident seals, and video surveillance integration.
• Deploy and integrate NSA Type 1 cryptographic devices (KG-175, KG-142), including interface setup, key loading, and end-to-end connectivity tests.
• Validate boundary protection, traffic filtering, IDS and IPS, and segmentation across classification boundaries.
• Run system integration tests covering connectivity, throughput, failover, and application verification.
• Troubleshoot connectivity, performance, hardware, and configuration problems in complex multi-enclave classified environments.
• Create and maintain as-built documentation, including topology and facility diagrams, IP schemas, VLAN assignments, power and cooling layouts, rack elevations, cable schedules, fiber records, and configuration records.
• Provide facility, power, cooling, and physical security implementation evidence to support RMF and ATO work.
• Work with ISSEs, ISSOs, industrial security staff, facilities teams, and mission engineers so the physical infrastructure meets classification rules and operational needs.

Requirements

• Required: 10+ years of hands-on work in data center infrastructure, facilities planning, or IT deployment, including building classified DoD or IC facilities up to TS/SCI and special access programs.
• Required: Active Secret clearance, with the ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI.
• Required: DoD 8140 IAT Level III certification (CASP+, CISSP, CISA, or equivalent).
• Required: Deep knowledge of data center power, including primary and backup supply, UPS, PDUs, circuit sizing, power calculations, and IT grounding.
• Required: Hands-on experience with IT cooling, including CRAC units, HVAC coordination, airflow, BTU calculations, and environmental monitoring.
• Required: Extensive work with structured cabling, including single-mode and multi-mode fiber, copper, patch panel design, cable management, and TIA/EIA standards.
• Required: Experience designing, installing, and configuring racks, including elevations, cable management, load calculations, and in-rack power.
• Required: Deep network skills, including IP addressing, VLANs, BGP and OSPF, switching, VPNs, and network security controls for complex classified networks.
• Required: Hands-on server build and deployment, including hardware assembly, Windows Server or Linux installs, and hardening.
• Required: Experience deploying storage (SAN, NAS, DAS) and virtualization (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM) in classified environments.
• Required: Experience coordinating with contractors, electricians, HVAC technicians, and facilities teams to deliver integrated infrastructure.
• Required: Strong troubleshooting across infrastructure, network, and system layers in mission-critical settings.
• Required: Working knowledge of ICD 705 Technical Specifications and physical security, including power line filters, 6-sided foil RF shielding, penetrations and waveguides, TEMPEST, acoustic protection, and visual shielding for SCIF and SAPF construction.
• Required: Working knowledge of NIST SP 800-53 physical and environmental controls (PE family) and how they are implemented and documented under RMF.
• Required: Experience supporting RMF and ATO work for physical and environmental controls, including facility documentation and control evidence.
• Required: Strong documentation skills, including topology diagrams, system architecture documents, facility diagrams, as-built drawings, power diagrams, rack elevations, IP schemas, and cable schedules.
• Required: Physical ability to do hands-on data center work such as rack installation, server mounting, cable pulling, and equipment installation.
• Required: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Preferred: Active Top Secret or TS/SCI clearance.
• Preferred: BICSI certification (RCDD, DCDC, or similar) in data center design and cabling.
• Preferred: Professional engineering license (PE), or experience working with PEs on facility infrastructure projects.
• Preferred: Experience with facility design tools such as AutoCAD or Visio for diagrams, rack elevations, and infrastructure drawings.
• Preferred: Hands-on use of DCIM systems to monitor power, cooling, and environmental conditions.
• Preferred: Experience with infrastructure vendors such as APC, Liebert/Vertiv, Schneider Electric, or similar for power and cooling.
• Preferred: Experience with fiber test equipment, including OTDRs, power meters, light sources, and fiber inspection tools.
• Preferred: Direct experience building SCIFs and SAPFs to ICD 705, including RF shielding, power line filters, penetrations (waveguides and fiber penetrations), TEMPEST zone management, and accreditation.
• Preferred: Experience building out classified ground station, satellite Command & Control (C2), or mission-critical operations center infrastructure.
• Preferred: Familiarity with IT fire suppression, including clean agent systems (FM-200, Novec 1230) and pre-action sprinklers.
• Preferred: Knowledge of building codes, the NEC, and standards for data center construction and IT infrastructure.
• Preferred: Experience with raised floors, cable trays, ladder racks, and overhead cable management.
• Preferred: Networking certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, CCIE, or equivalent.
• Preferred: Server or virtualization certifications such as MCSE, RHCE, VCP, or equivalent.
• Preferred: Experience with network automation and Infrastructure as Code (Ansible, Terraform, Python) for repeatable deployments.
• Preferred: Experience with monitoring and management tools, including SNMP and NetFlow monitoring, system management platforms, and log aggregation.
• Preferred: Hands-on work with AWS GovCloud or Azure Government, including compute, networking, and storage in IL-5 or IL-6 environments.
• Preferred: Experience supporting DoD or IC customers through facility ATO and certification, including physical, environmental, and technical control assessments.

Conditions

Base salary is $170,000 to $250,000 in Denver, Colorado, and $180,000 to $260,000 in Long Beach, California.

Final level and salary are set case by case, based on job-related knowledge and skills, education, location, and experience.

The role is onsite in Denver, CO (preferred), Colorado Springs, CO, or Long Beach, CA.

This position needs an active Secret clearance to start, plus the ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI.

The work is mainly in the field, in data centers, server rooms, and classified facilities including SCIFs and SAPFs, and is mission-critical national security space work.

Expect to lift and mount servers and network equipment weighing up to 50 lbs, work on raised floors, run cable in tight spaces, and climb ladders for overhead cable work.

Expect standing, bending, kneeling, and confined-space work during installs and buildouts.

Sites include active construction areas and operational data centers, with noise, temperature changes, and equipment hazards.

Travel of up to 50% is required, to classified facilities, government sites, and partner locations across the United States.

Occasional evening or weekend work may be needed to match facility maintenance windows.

Coordination with contractors, electricians, HVAC technicians, facilities teams, ISSEs, ISSOs, and government partners is part of the job.

To meet U.S. Government space technology export rules under ITAR, you must be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., a protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

This role is not open to fixed-term or temporary contracts.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes requests for accommodation.

Benefits

• Health coverage with 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents, plus HSA or HRA options.
• Flexible Time Off for exempt employees, accrued PTO of up to 25 days for non-exempt employees, 12 paid holidays, parental leave, and sick leave.
• Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks for in-office staff.
• 401(k) retirement plan, fitness reimbursement, and Dog Fridays.
• Equity is part of total compensation, so you share in the company's success.
• Health, dental, vision, HRA or HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401(k), and parental leave are included in the package.