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Senior/Staff/Principal Security Engineer (U. S. Air Force)
$180k – $230k/yr US remote full time principal Apr 20, 2026
Skills
About this role
About Skylight
Skylight is a digital consultancy using design and technology to help government agencies deliver better public services.
We’re at the forefront of a civic movement to reinvent how all levels of government serve families, patients, and many others in today's digital world.
If you want to play a part in driving this critical movement forward, we’d love for you to join our growing team of public interest technologists.
The work we do matters.
About the job
At Skylight, a security engineer stays up to date with the cutting edge of security and helps Skylight implement new processes, tools, and remediations. They’re familiar with modern software development and work in cross-functional teams to inform and guide security best practices at all stages of the software development life cycle.
In this role, you’ll partner with a mission-critical organization within the U.S. Air Force Special Operations community to secure and modernize complex digital environments that underpin highly specialized operations. Leveraging your expertise in DoD Security Ops, NIST RMF, and Kubernetes, you’ll ensure the delivery of secure, scalable solutions that maintain ATO compliance and mission readiness. You will be responsible for the security posture of a software portfolio for the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) through our BESPIN partnership, with a primary focus on implementing innovative and flexible security frameworks for mobile applications and CI/CD pipelines.
What you’ll do
Protect sensitive data by applying security and privacy best practices
Conduct security audits and risk analyses
Plan and implement remediations
Conduct ongoing research to keep up with industry practices and new attack vectors
Select and use the right tools, frameworks, languages, and technologies for the job, with a preference for open-source solutions
What we're looking for
Minimum qualifications
Experience with DoD Security Ops, ATO (Authority to Operate) processes, NIST RMF, and CI/CD
Experience with cloud infrastructure and Kubernetes
High level of innovation and flexibility
Ability to detect risks by continually reviewing all aspects of the application for vulnerabilities and enumerating them
Ability to review software security vulnerabilities and enumerate them
Possess an understanding of various kinds of security assessments, such as white-hat hacking and penetration testing
Can mitigate security risks at each stage of the software development life cycle with an understanding of how to prevent these risks in the first place
Ability to interpret and translate non-technical material, such as regulations, into business and technical requirements
Understand common security pitfalls and can help the team avoid them
Can select and use the right tools for the job, particularly open-source solutions
Ability to work successfully within a professional services environment (e.g., can communicate effectively with clients)
Passionate about creating better public outcomes through great government services
A mindset and work approach that align with Skylight’s https://skylight.digital/company/values/
Ability to travel for work from time to time
Nice-to-have qualifications
Experience with AWS
Coding experience
DOD 8570 IAT Level II or III certifications
Experience with tactical edge deployments or air-gapped solutions
Experience designing, multi-step forms with thoughtful validation patterns and clear error handling to support seamless user input experiences
Lead and facilitate collaborative workshops to align stakeholders, gather insights, and drive decision-making
Experience owning design work by leading projects or serving as the sole designer, balancing strategy, execution, and cross-functional collaboration
Prior experience working in the civic tech space
Experience working in a remote-team environment
Don’t meet every qualification but think you can do the job? We’d still love to hear from you. If you’re excited about the role, apply. We consider candidates with a range of backgrounds and experiences.
Other requirements
All work must be conducted within the U.S., excluding U.S. territories. This role requires U.S. citizenship to be eligible for employment.
As a government contractor, you may be required to obtain a public trust or security clearance, up to Top Secret.
You may be required to complete a company background check successfully.
Some of our available roles are on federal contracts that require a degree or additional years of experience as a substitute.
Position type
This is a full-time, exempt position.
Location
This is a fully remote position.
Care package
Salary
We want to give you the most competitive salary possible. After all, you deserve it! To that end, we use the results of our interview process to determine what salary is most appropriate given your current level of seniority. For a Security Engineer at Skylight, the current salary ranges are as follows:
Associate Security Engineer: $90,000–$125,000 Security Engineer I: $120,000–$140,000 Security Engineer II: $135,000–$160,000 Senior Security Engineer: $150,000–$185,000 Staff Security Engineer: $170,000–$203,000 Principal Security Engineer: $180,000–$230,000
Benefits
Your well-being is important to us, so we focus on supporting you in a variety of ways:
Medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance
Short-term and long-term disability insurance
Life and AD&D insurance
Dependent care FSA, healthcare FSA, health savings account
Dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match up to 10% of your salary with no vesting period
Flexible paid time off policy (generally around 25 days per year), plus 11 paid federal holidays
Up to 12 weeks paid time off for all eligible new birth, adoption, or foster parents
Performance rewards, including annual salary increase, annual performance bonus, spot bonuses, and stock options
Business development / sales bonuses
Referral bonuses
Annual $2,000 allowance for professional development
Annual $750 allowance for tech-related purchases
Annual swag budget of $100 to display your Skylight pride with some merchandise (hoodies, hats, and more)
Dollar-for-dollar charity donation matching, up to $500 per year
Flexible, remote-friendly work environment
An environment that empowers you to unleash your superpowers for public good
Interview tips
Visit our https://skylight.digital/careers/join/ to learn more about how our interview process works. Check out our https://skylight.digital/careers/career-pathways/ to learn more about the different roles within Skylight and the skills needed to do them. If you’d like to request reasonable accommodations during the application or interviewing process, please contact our recruiting team at mailto:recruiting@skylight.digital.
We participate in E-Verify and upon hire, will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you’re authorized to work in the U.S.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable law. Offices: United States (Remote);