Security Engineer

Company Description Air is the leader in Enterprise Readiness. Our mission is to establish readiness as a real-time condition that is continuously achieved. Today, a dangerous Readiness Gap exists between what the front line needs and what is delivered. Our AI-native platform, Air Enterprise Readiness, aligns development, production, delivery, and sustainment into one coordinated execution system for government agencies and industrial suppliers. By revealing true capacity, exposing real constraints, coordinating resources, and executing at the speed of operational demands, the front line gets what it needs to succeed. Job Description We are seeking a highly motivated and versatile Security Engineer to help build, establish, and mature our security organization from the ground up. In this role, you will report directly to the Director of IT & Security, serving as a 'Swiss Army Knife' operational builder who can translate high-level vision into actionable security capabilities by designing, implementing, and running foundational programs like Incident Response and Vulnerability Management. You will serve as both a strategic architect and a hands-on technical builder, responsible for developing practical security processes and actively executing them day-to-day. In order to do this job well, you excel in fast-paced environments where ownership and technical agility are paramount. You bring a strong balance of deep security expertise, problem-solving ingenuity, and operational discipline, with a proven track record of taking security initiatives from blank canvas to full operational reality. You are a natural builder who thrives on solving complex technical challenges, establishing scalable workflows, and working cross-functionally to champion a strong security culture across the company. This role is an onsite, full-time position located out of our office in Arlington, VA This role may require up to 10% travel Scope of Responsibilities - Run Daily Security Operations: Monitor alerts across our environment—Google Workspace, CrowdStrike (endpoint/EDR), cloud, and network—triage what matters, and drive issues to resolution. Tune tooling to reduce noise and keep focus on real threats. - Own Incident Response: Lead the complete IR lifecycle (triage, investigation, containment, eradication, and recovery). Build and exercise playbooks, run tabletops, lead active response efforts, and feed lessons learned back into security controls. - Own Vulnerability Management: Run scanning, prioritization, and remediation tracking across endpoints, servers, and cloud environments. Partner closely with IT to drive actual remediation, not just issue reports. - Execute Security-Focused IT Engineering: Configure and harden endpoints, identity/access systems, and cloud/SaaS platforms. Support secure system administration, onboarding/offboarding controls, MDM, and the operational foundation of our security posture. - Build Program Operational Muscle: Under the Director’s guidance, establish and mature the processes, runbooks, and tooling required to keep us aligned with CMMC / NIST 800-171 standards and CUI obligations. - Automate Toil: Script repetitive work (enrichment, response actions, reporting, provisioning) using Python or equivalent languages so the security program scales efficiently. - Document & Level Up the Organization: Create clear runbooks and documentation while actively raising the overall security IQ of the broader team. Qualifications - U.S. Citizenship is required - Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related field Required Skills: - Experience: 6–10 years of hands-on technical experience with a primary focus in Security Operations and Incident Response, supported by strong IT and systems engineering fundamentals. Must possess experience with CrowdStrike. - SecOps & IR Proficiency: Proven track record running end-to-end incident response (monitoring, triage, investigation, containment, and recovery) in production environments. - IT & Cloud Security Engineering: Solid grasp of endpoint administration, identity and access management (IAM), MDM, and secure configuration of modern cloud/SaaS environments. Direct experience with Google Workspace and CrowdStrike (or equivalent EDR) is strongly preferred. - Automation & Scripting: Practical scripting capability (Python or equivalent) used to automate manual processes and operational tasks. - Vulnerability Management: Working knowledge of vulnerability scanning tools, risk prioritization, and collaborating across teams to drive remediation. - Execution Mindset: Strong builder’s mentality with the ability to turn strategic roadmaps into functional systems, workflows, and documentation. - Communication: Clear written and verbal communication skills, capable of explaining technical security risks to both engineering teams and leadership. - Clearance Eligibility: U.S. citizenship and the eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance. Desired Skills: - Defense / Compliance Exposure: Experience in defense or government contracting environments, including familiarity with CMMC, NIST 800-171 / NIST 800-53, and CUI handling procedures. - Greenfield Build Experience: Prior experience standing up a security operations capability or IR program from an early stage. - CrowdStrike Certifications: Direct experience with the CrowdStrike Falcon platform is required. Active CrowdStrike certifications—such as CCFA (Administrator), CCFR (Responder), CCFH (Hunter), CCFP, or specialized cloud/identity certs (CCCS / CCIS)—are highly desired. - Security Certifications: Industry certifications such as GCIH, GCFA, Security+, CySA+, GSEC, or CISSP (valued, but secondary to practical hands-on experience). - Clearance: Active or current U.S. government security clearance. We firmly believe that past performance is the best indicator of future performance. If you thrive while building solutions to complex problems, are a self-starter, and are passionate about making an impact in global security, we’re eager to hear from you. Air is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans status or any other characteristic protected by law.