AI Security Software Engineer

SpaceX

Confirmed live yesterday High trust

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Hawthorne, CA
Salary: $130,000–$160,000 / yr
Posted: 8 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Below market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $183k

This role $145k

$119k most similar roles pay here $231k

This role pays less than 79% of similar roles. Most pay $150,300–$215,000 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $145k versus about $183k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft with the mission of enabling humans to become a multi-planetary species. It operates the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship launch vehicles, as well as the Starlink satellite internet constellation.

SpaceX currently has 680 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $130,000–$165,000 across 442 roles with salary data.

Most-posted roles

View all roles at SpaceX

At a glance

TL;DR · AI Security Software Engineer

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As an AI Security Software Engineer (Starshield), you will join the Starshield team to develop secure systems for government use involving earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads. You will focus on building security-critical agents that automate network and systems defense while ensuring safe AI integration into existing infrastructure. Your daily work involves using AI to discover and fix security issues, providing guidance on AI integrations, and identifying areas where automation can improve the program's security posture. The role requires proficiency in Python, C++, or Golang, along with expertise in LLM attack surfaces, agent engineering, network and operating system security, and incident response. You will address technical challenges related to secure communication systems and infrastructure while managing risks like prompt injection and data exfiltration within complex, large-scale distributed environments to protect critical space-based assets.

Skills

LLM Agent Engineering Python C++ Golang Cryptography Network Security Operating System Security red-teaming penetration-testing Distributed Systems Incident Response

What you'll do

Design and build security-critical agents to automate network and systems defense.
Use AI to identify and remediate security vulnerabilities within Starshield infrastructure.
Test and provide guidance on integrating AI into existing and new systems.
Identify opportunities for improving program security through automation and AI.
Maintain production systems while improving overall security posture through direct implementation.
Secure LLM integrations against threats like prompt injection, jailbreaking, and data exfiltration.
Manage the infrastructure and maintenance of LLMs to ensure reliable and scalable operations.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's degree in computer science or another STEM discipline, or 2+ years of professional experience in security software development.
Proficiency in one or more software development languages such as Python, C++, or Golang.
Experience designing and implementing security solutions for operating systems, distributed systems, or large-scale infrastructure.
Experience designing and implementing solutions with LLMs, LLM-based agents, or adjacent AI topics.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret Security Clearance (Top Secret SCI or DOE Level Q preferred).
Must be a U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, or eligible for required export control authorizations.
Experience with core security engineering topics including cryptography, authentication, network security, and operating system security.
Experience red-teaming LLMs, including prompt injection, jailbreaking, and data exfiltration.