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Apex manufactures satellite buses at scale for the commercial space industry, combining software, vertical integration, and hardware designed for manufacturing. The company enables earth observation, communications, and other critical space-based services.
The Director of Cybersecurity is a senior leadership role responsible for Apex's enterprise security strategy, operations, and compliance. Reporting to the VP of IT & Security and based on-site at the Playa Vista office, this role leads the Cybersecurity (SOC) Lead and security team to safeguard the organization's information assets against evolving cyber threats in a regulated, controlled environment.
Key Responsibilities:
Security Strategy & Governance: Define and execute a multi-year cybersecurity strategy aligned with business objectives and emerging threats. Establish and maintain security policies, standards, reference architectures, and playbooks across infrastructure, cloud, endpoints, and applications. Own the security budget, technology evaluations, and resource allocation.
Security Operations & Incident Response: Direct the SOC Lead and team in 24/7 monitoring, detection, triage, and response. Serve as the senior escalation point for complex incidents; own incident response readiness, containment, eradication, and post-incident analysis. Oversee proactive threat hunting, malware analysis, and threat intelligence integration.
Tools, Detection & Continuous Improvement: Own selection, tuning, and optimization of SIEM, EDR/XDR, IDS/IPS, CASB/SASE, SOAR, and vulnerability management systems. Drive automation, develop KPIs and dashboards, and deliver executive reporting on threats, incidents, and defensive posture.
Governance, Risk & Compliance: Lead efforts to achieve and maintain CMMC, ISO 27001, NIST 800-171, and other accreditations required for government and commercial programs. Own risk assessments, audits, tabletop exercises, data protection, and continuous monitoring.
Team Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement: Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing security team. Partner with IT to embed security into infrastructure and projects. Report on security posture, incidents, KPIs, and risk to executive leadership; translate technical risk into business terms.
Requirements:
- 8+ years in cybersecurity operations, including 4+ years in a SOC leadership or security management role
- Proficiency in security tooling (SIEM, EDR/XDR, IDS/IPS, CASB/SASE, NESSUS, Burp Suite, firewalls) and scripting (Python, PowerShell)
- Strong understanding of networking protocols and operating systems (Windows/macOS/Linux)
- Experience leading CMMC, ISO 27001, and/or NIST 800-53 or 800-171 programs, including audits and continuous monitoring
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills with proven ability to lead teams in high-pressure environments
- Must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen or permanent resident) due to ITAR requirements and the nature of Apex's programs
Nice-to-Have:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, or related field (Master's preferred)
- One or more of CISSP, CISM, GIAC GCIH, or CompTIA Security+ certifications
- Experience in aerospace, defense, satellite, or advanced manufacturing environments
- Active or prior U.S. security clearance (Secret or TS/SCI)
- Familiarity with AWS GovCloud and FedRAMP-aligned cloud operations
- Hands-on experience with Elastic SIEM and building SOC automation and playbooks
