Role OverviewThis role is responsible for building and operating the company's initial IT and security infrastructure in a way that supports rapid execution of aerospace and defense programs without introducing unnecessary friction. The engineer will design and implement systems that meet government security requirements (e.g., NIST 800-171, CMMC 2.0, classified environments) while remaining practical for daily engineering use. This includes standing up core infrastructure, managing vendors and contractors, and developing a roadmap for secure and scalable systems as the company grows.
Required Qualifications- Demonstrated delivery of IT and security systems within a defense or national security context, preferably in an early-stage or scaling environment
- Experience implementing and maintaining systems aligned with NIST 800-171, CMMC 2.0, and/or classified infrastructure requirements
- Ability to balance compliance with usability, ensuring security controls do not impede engineering and operational execution
- Proven capability to develop first-principles justifications for security and IT decisions, including navigating or challenging regulatory constraints when necessary
- Experience managing vendors, contractors, and external service providers across networking, cloud, and infrastructure deployments
- Strong problem-solving ability in constrained environments, including building non-standard solutions when typical approaches are too slow or impractical
Preferred Qualifications- Experience securing embedded systems or aerospace platforms in a production or test environment
- Background in high-growth hardware or defense startups where infrastructure was built from the ground up
- Familiarity with hybrid cloud/on-prem architectures supporting sensitive or controlled data environments
Reporting Structure and ScopeReports to the Founder and CEO. This is an individual contributor role with full ownership over the company's IT and security systems, including network infrastructure, VPNs, cloud services, and endpoint environments. Responsible for planning and executing infrastructure expansion (e.g., facility networking, fiber, secure enclaves), maintaining operational reliability, and producing required compliance artifacts for government contracts. Manages subcontractors and vendors as needed.
The role operates as the responsible engineer for this domain, requiring close integration with other engineering functions to ensure systems meet programmatic needs. The primary customer is the internal engineering team, with requirements shaped by external government constraints. Ownership includes defining and executing the roadmap for future classified infrastructure.
