Security Operations Engineer
Umbra is an American space technology company delivering advanced systems, from sensors to spacecraft, that empower customers worldwide with unmatched access to critical information from space. Our mission is simple and ambitious: redefine space—for people, systems, and missions in every domain. Umbra’s ecosystem operates through three business units: Remote Sensing (the data), Space Systems (the components), and Mission Solutions (the platforms). Together, our teams develop capabilities that deliver persistent access, resilient performance, and mission-ready solutions, advancing U.S. space leadership while keeping the world safe and informed.
About the Team
Umbra’s Information Technology organization operates as a shared service and strategic capability, embedding security, automation, and operational rigor directly into the platforms the business depends on. Security is not an overlay, it is designed, implemented, and evidenced through IT platforms.
About the Role
The Security Operations Engineer is a hands-on technical role responsible for designing, implementing, operating, and continuously improving security controls across Umbra’s corporate technology platforms. This position serves as the primary conduit between Information Security (InfoSec) and IT execution, ensuring security policy is translated into durable, auditable technical controls.
Sitting within Core Infrastructure, this role owns the security configuration control plane for corporate IT: identity, access, email security, data protection, network security, endpoint posture, vulnerability management, logging, and detection. The role partners closely with InfoSec on risk management, program deployment, POA&M execution, and audit readiness.
This is an engineering-first role focused on building and integrating secure-by-default platforms, not a SOC-only or alert-triage position.
This position is based on-site in either our Arlington, VA office or Reston, VA office.
Key Responsibilities
- Security Engineering: Design, implement, and operate technical security controls across identity, endpoint, network, cloud, email, and SaaS environments, translating InfoSec policies and standards into enforceable configurations and platform guardrails.
- Vulnerability Management: Own the technical vulnerability management lifecycle across corporate IT platforms, including scanning and coverage, risk-based prioritization, remediation coordination, validation, exception tracking, and reporting.
- Administer vulnerability scanning tools and partner with infrastructure and application owners to drive remediation of vulnerabilities, configuration issues, and critical or actively exploited exposures.
- Email Security: Design and maintain email security controls, including SPF, DKIM, DMARC, secure mail routing, monitoring, and protection against phishing, spoofing, and domain abuse.
- Data Loss Prevention: Design, implement, and tune DLP controls across email, endpoints, cloud storage, messaging, and SaaS platforms, including controls supporting CUI and other regulated data.
- Identity & Access: Secure and operate IAM capabilities including SSO, MFA, SCIM/JIT, PAM, least-privilege access, and access-review remediation.
- Endpoint Security: Partner with IT teams to implement and maintain security baselines across Windows and macOS environments, including encryption, patching, device trust, and endpoint security tooling.
- Network & Cloud Security: Implement and maintain security controls across network and cloud environments, including segmentation, firewalls, ZTNA/VPN, logging, and cloud security guardrails.
- Detection & Incident Response: Operate and tune security monitoring and detection capabilities, integrating signals across identity, endpoint, email, and DLP platforms and supporting investigation and remediation of security incidents.
- Compliance & Audit Readiness: Maintain technical documentation, configuration artifacts, and evidence supporting NIST, CMMC, FedRAMP, and other applicable security and compliance requirements.
- Automation & Continuous Improvement: Automate security controls, vulnerability management, evidence collection, and compliance workflows to improve reliability and reduce manual effort.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with InfoSec, Core Infrastructure, Digital Workplace, Enterprise Applications, Legal, and other stakeholders to implement security requirements and remediate technical risks.
- Participate in security-related change reviews, CABs, and other governance forums as needed.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Requirements
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in security engineering, security operations, or infrastructure security roles.
- Hands-on experience managing the vulnerability lifecycle, including authenticated scanning, finding validation, risk-based prioritization, remediation coordination, and verification of closure.
- Strong hands-on experience designing and deploying:
- Email authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
- Enterprise DLP controls
- Strong hands-on experience implementing security controls across:
- Identity & Access Management
- Endpoint management (Windows/macOS)
- Network and cloud platforms
- Demonstrated ability to translate security policy into enforceable technical implementation.
- Experience coordinating patches, upgrades, and configuration changes across technical teams while balancing security risk, operational availability, and change-management requirements.
- Experience supporting & automating audit and compliance evidence collection.
- Strong troubleshooting and incident response skills.
Desired Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience in security engineering, security operations, or infrastructure security roles.
- Experience with vulnerability assessment platforms, such as Tenable/Nessus, and patch management tooling, such as BigFix.
- Experience with Okta: IdP, SSO, MFA, SCIM, and workflows.
- Strong hands on experience designing and deploying eDiscovery and retention workflows.
- Experience with FortiGate & Cisco network technologies.
- Strong understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/S, VPNs, SD-WAN, and routing/switching.
- Experience deploying DLP in regulated environments.
- Familiarity with NIST, CMMC, and FedRAMP.
- Experience automating security controls, vulnerability remediation workflows, or evidence collection.
- Exposure to cloud security tooling and observability platforms.
- Proficiency in Python, Bash, or PowerShell.
Benefits
- Flexible Time Off, Sick, Family & Medical Leave
- Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, LTD, STD (employer funded)
- Vol Life, Critical Illness, Accidental, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance (employee funded)
- 401k with 3% non-elective company contribution
- Stock Options
- Free Parking
- Free lunch daily in office
Umbra is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
Employment Eligibility Verification
In compliance with federal laws, all hired persons will be required to verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States by completing the required Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) upon hire.
ITAR/EAR Requirements
This position may include access to technology and/or data that is subject to U.S. export controls pursuant to ITAR and EAR. To comply with federal export controls, all persons hired must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee or asylee as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), or must otherwise be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or U.S. Department of Commerce as applicable.
Pay Transparency
This job posting may cover multiple career levels. To ensure greater transparency, we provide base salary ranges for all roles, regardless of location. Our standard pay ranges are based on the role’s function and level, benchmarked against similar growth-stage companies. Compensation may vary based on geographical location, as certain regions may have different cost-of-living factors. The final offer will also be influenced by the candidate's skills, responsibilities, and relevant experience.
Compensation Range
The Compensation Range for this role is $145,000 - $175,000 DOE.
Skills
As published by workable · 8 questions
Basics
First name, Last name, Email, Phone, Address, Resume, Are you legally authorized to work in the US for any employer? , 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. , Cover letter, How did you hear about Umbra? , What is the highest level of education that you completed?, What is your desired base pay?, When are you available to start?, Various federal laws restrict the employment and post-government employment (PGE) activities of federal government employees. Please identify your employment status with the United States Federal Government, including civilian or military. Umbra may request additional detail on the nature of any U.S. Federal Government employment and may require provision of an agency ethics opinion letter., Similar to federal laws there may be state and local laws that regulate the post-government employment (PGE) activities of current or former state or local government (municipal government) employees. These regulations may vary from state to state but may address activities related to contracting, procurement, regulatory or legislative roles, or other public employment within a municipal government. Please select your employment status with respect to municipal governments., If you answered "I have never..." to both of the above questions, please select N/A. If you answered with something else, answer the following question: Did you in the past, or are you now, participating in, supervising, or otherwise responsible for any active or pending government procurement or contract administration matter that does or might involve Umbra Lab, Inc. and/or a matter that has a direct or potential effect on the financial or business interests of Umbra Lab, Inc.?, If you answered "I have never..." to both of the above questions, please select N/A. If you answered with something else, answer the following question: To the best of your knowledge, is any member of your immediate family (including spouse, parents, siblings, and children), member of your household, or person with whom you have a similarly close personal relationship a current employee of the U.S. Federal Government, a municipal government, or a candidate for political office?
Pick from a list (8)
- How many years of professional experience do you have in security engineering, security operations, infrastructure security, or a closely related role?
- Do you have hands-on experience managing the vulnerability management lifecycle, including vulnerability scanning, validation, prioritization, remediation tracking, and verification of closure?
- Which of the following email security technologies have you personally configured, implemented, or managed in a production environment? (Select all that apply)
- Do you have hands-on experience implementing or administering enterprise Data Loss Prevention (DLP) controls in a production environment?
- Which of the following areas have you personally implemented or administered security controls for? (Select all that apply).
- Do you have experience supporting or automating evidence collection for security audits or compliance frameworks?
- Do you currently reside in (or within commutable distance to) the Arlington, VA or Reston, VA areas?
- If you don't reside in (or within commutable distance to) the Arlington, VA and Reston, VA areas, are you able to relocate to either area, as this is primarily an in-office role?