Security Engineer - GRC Federal Frameworks

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today, SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of making life multiplanetary and expanding consciousness to the stars.

SpaceXSI is building Super Intelligence to help humanity understand the universe. Our teams are building the full Super Intelligence stack: from our Colossus supercomputers, to Grok models, to our suite of applications, including Grok Bot, Grok Build, Grok Imagine, Grok Voice, and X. We're creating a powerful flywheel where more compute trains better models, better models power more useful products, and what we learn from people using those products shapes what we build next.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) team member to help scale our GRC program as SpaceXSI grows. This critical role will ensure that SpaceXSI operates within regulatory, ethical, and operational boundaries while fostering a culture of integrity and resilience.

The primary focus of this role is to provide and sustain deep expertise in the NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF), FedRAMP, and Impact Level 4/5 (IL4/IL5) authorization processes. The ideal candidate will apply these frameworks end-to-end through the full authorization and certification lifecycle, with a strong command of the underlying technical implementation. In addition, this GRC team member will manage and maintain Continuous Monitoring artifacts and annual assessments for Grok for Government, and should be equally comfortable interpreting control requirements and partnering directly with engineers to design, implement, and validate the controls themselves.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Execute security compliance implementation and audits (e.g. DoD Cloud Computing SRG IL5/IL6, FedRAMP Class D. (Rev. 5 / CR2026), NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171/CMMC, Risk Management Framework).

• Oversee audits, certifications, third-party assessments, and vulnerability management to maintain compliance and operational credibility.

• Design and implement risk mitigation strategies, including monitoring systems, contingency plans, vulnerability scans, Plan of Action and Milestones (POAMs), and STIGs.

• Ensure the implementation, oversight, monitoring, and maintenance of security configurations, practices, and procedures throughout the project lifecycle.

• Serve as a liaison between system owners, security personnel, and cross-functional teams to facilitate effective communication, collaboration, and control implementation.

• Lead Risk Management Assessment and Authorization (A&A) processes, cloud system risk assessments, compliance reviews for new products/changes/features, and process enhancements.

• Conduct regular risk assessments, scenario analyses, and proactive evaluations of emerging threats, certifications, requirements, and technologies in the AI landscape.

• Act as a subject matter expert, providing guidance on risk, compliance, and cybersecurity matters; translate business and technical risks for leadership.

• Create and present regular reports on GRC performance, risks, and compliance status to senior leadership and stakeholders.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Security, Cybersecurity, or in an engineering/STEM field

• 3+ years of experience in governance, risk management, compliance, or technology audit roles.

• At least 1 year of experience with FedRAMP/IL5 compliance, vulnerability management, and continuous monitoring.

• Experience implementing and maintaining security compliance frameworks and cloud security controls.

• Expert-level knowledge in at least one of the following domains: DoD Cloud Computing SRG IL5/IL6, FedRAMP Class D. and/or NIST 800-171/CMMC.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• 5+ years of security compliance or technology audit-related experience.

• Hands-on experience implementing technical controls (e.g., IAM, logging and monitoring, encryption, infrastructure hardening) and integrating compliance checks into CI/CD pipelines.

• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and project management skills, with the ability to balance innovation, oversight, and taking projects from conception to launch.

• Ability to evaluate control objectives with IT configurations.

• Hands-on experience implementing technical controls (e.g., IAM, logging and monitoring, encryption, infrastructure hardening) — not just assessing them.

• Experience in the tech or AI industry, particularly with startups or innovative organizations.

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps practices, including implementing compliance-as-code (e.g., policy-as-code frameworks like OPA, automated control validation, continuous compliance monitoring integrated into the deployment pipeline).

• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and translation skills, with experience influencing cross-functional teams and communicating risks to leadership.

• Experience with commercial compliance programs (e.g., ISO 27001, ISO 42001, SOC 2, NIST CSF, NIST 800-53, or similar compliance framework is a plus.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

$100,000 - $198,000 USD

Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at SpaceXSI, which also includes equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• 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.

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