Cybersecurity Engineer
US$110,000 – US$170,000 / yr base salary
Posted 22 Sep 2026
Advertised as “Senior Engineer, Cybersecurity (R5972)”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Level
- R5972
- Expected experience
- 5+ yrs
- Management level
- People management
- Employment
- On-Site
- Contract
- Full-time
| Base salary | US$110,000 – US$170,000 / yr |
|---|
Field of studyComputer Engineering, Cybersecurity, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering (or related)
Study levelBachelor's
CertificationsCISSP, Security+, CEH, GIAC
Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Job Description:
We are seeking a Senior Cybersecurity Engineer to lead cybersecurity activities for an airborne aerospace and defense platform. This role will integrate cybersecurity across avionics, mission systems, aircraft networks, communications, embedded software, and ground-support systems.
What you'll do:
- Develop the platform’s cybersecurity architecture, requirements, and protection strategy.
- Perform threat modeling, vulnerability assessments, attack-surface analysis, and cyber risk assessments.
- Define protections for secure boot, authentication, access control, encryption, key management, software updates, and data communications.
- Apply defense-in-depth across aircraft systems, networks, radios, data links, and external interfaces.
- Lead DoD Risk Management Framework activities and develop required authorization evidence.
- Evaluate hardware, software, firmware, and supplier designs for cybersecurity risks.
- Develop cybersecurity verification plans and support vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and cyber-resiliency testing.
- Coordinate risk mitigation and corrective actions with engineering teams, suppliers, customers, and program leadership.
- Ensure cybersecurity solutions support aircraft safety, availability, and mission effectiveness.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, computer engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering, systems engineering, or a related field.
- Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree.
- Experience with aircraft, aerospace, defense, or other mission-critical embedded systems.
- Knowledge of avionics, mission systems, platform networks, communications, or data links.