Cyber Security Engineer

Company Overview

Fortastra designs and delivers resilient, high-performance spacecraft that safeguard critical orbital assets and ensure freedom of action in space. We integrate advanced autonomy, sensing, and control into systems engineered for reliability, speed, and scale. Our culture values simplicity, accountability, and disciplined execution empowering every engineer to think systemically, act decisively, and build with purpose. Aggressive innovation. Disciplined execution. Strength among the stars.

Our Engineering Team

You’ll join Fortastra’s Engineering Division, working at the intersection of software, cloud infrastructure, and mission security. Our cloud and DevSecOps stack underpins everything from simulation and CI/CD to mission tools, and must be secure, observable, and easy for engineers to use.

The Role

Fortastra is seeking a Cyber Security Engineer focused on cloud security, detection and response, and DevSecOps. You will build and operate security guardrails around our AWS and Azure environments, enabling engineering teams to move quickly while remaining secure and compliant.

The ideal candidate is a cloud engineer with a cyber mindset, not a pure application security specialist. You are hands on with AWS or Azure, infrastructure as code, and CI/CD, and you know how to implement monitoring, IAM, SIEM, and security tooling with minimal friction for developers.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement security guardrails in AWS and Azure, including IAM policies, network controls, and baseline configurations.
• Own detection and response in the cloud: SIEM integration, log aggregation, alerting rules, and investigation workflows.
• Integrate security tooling into CI/CD pipelines (SAST, DAST, SCA) and ensure DevOps workflows remain fast and usable.
• Contribute to secure configuration of GitLab, Terraform, and container infrastructure, including scanning and hardening.
• Help define and maintain cloud security standards, baselines, and reference architectures that engineering teams can adopt.
• Support IAM reorganization, tenant creation and onboarding into existing infrastructure, and continuous improvement of access controls.
• Partner with engineering teams as an enablement function, helping them build securely rather than blocking development.

Qualifications and Skills

• 5+ years of hands on experience in cloud security, DevSecOps, or closely related roles.
• Strong experience with at least one major cloud provider (AWS or Azure), preferably both.
• Familiarity with GitLab and Terraform for CI/CD and infrastructure as code.
• Experience with SIEM or log aggregation tools and building detection and alerting in cloud environments.
• Understanding of DevSecOps concepts and tools such as SAST, DAST, SCA, and container security.
• Background in defense, aerospace, or other high assurance environments is a plus.
• No frequent job hopping; we are looking for someone who has owned and matured a cloud security environment.
• Not focused on application feature development or gaming industry backend work; this role is infrastructure and security oriented.

Requirements

• 5 days on-site in Torrance, CA
• U.S. Citizenship required
• Ability to obtain or hold an active TS/SCI clearance

 

Why Fortastra

We are a small, high-impact team building the next generation of autonomous orbital control systems for national security space. At Fortastra, leaders own outcomes from first principles through flight and directly shape the future of resilient, mission-critical spacecraft autonomy.

FORTASTRA TALENT & CULTURE PRINCIPLES

Values Driven by First Principles

We value engineers and operators who prioritize sound judgment, candor, technical rigor, bias for action, and intellectual honesty over corporate consensus. We care about the caliber of the system you build and the speed at which you solve problems.

Talent Density Over Headcount

A high-performing startup is built on dense talent, not organizational bloat. A single exceptional engineer designs, tests, and delivers faster than a bloated committee. We intentionally maintain a lean, elite engineering crew where every contributor directly moves the needle on the mission. 

High Autonomy, High Ownership

We hire domain experts to execute, not to micromanage them. You own your systems end-to-end, from initial architecture and hardware design to testing and deployment. With absolute ownership comes the responsibility to deliver mission critical reliability. 

Mission Context Over Bureaucracy

The best execution happens when teams are provided clear technical objectives, constraints, and operational context, rather than rigid top-down policies. We strip away red tape so builders can iterate, make decisions, and push hardware and flight software forward rapidly. 

Disciplined Speed & Flight Rigor

We move fast because we test often and kill artificial bottlenecks, not because we cut corners. Rapid iteration on the test stand and in simulation is how we learn; an uncompromising flight-readiness bar is how we earn trust. Precision without friction, speed without recklessness.

Direct Impact, Not Career Bureaucracy

You don’t come to Fortastra to climb a corporate ladder or manage slide decks; you come to build complex, flight-ready systems from day one. Growth here is organic, driven by the magnitude of technical challenges you solve and the trust you build across the team. 

Benefits

We take care of our employees so they can focus on what matters most: family, well-being, and life outside of work.

Unlimited Paid Time Off so that you have the time you need to rest and recharge.

Comprehensive Healthcare: Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents, because peace of mind starts with feeling cared for.

Equity: Share in Fortastra's success with equity in the company you're helping build.

401(k): A 401(k) plan to help you invest in your future and plan for what's ahead.

Social Events: Regular social events, team outings, and company-sponsored activities that make this a place people are glad to be part of.

 

The pay range for this role is $130,000.00 - $170,000.00. Where an offer falls within that range depends on factors like your qualifications, experience, location, and interview performance, which we weigh against the market rate for the position.

 

Recruiters & Agencies: Fortastra does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from recruiters, agencies, or third parties. Any candidate submitted without a signed agreement and prior written authorization from Fortastra will not be subject to any fee, and no relationship is implied. Please do not contact Fortastra employees, hiring managers, or recruiting team directly.