Lead Security Engineer

Position Overview

Key Responsibilities

• Infrastructure & Perimeter Defense
• Deploy zero-trust network access, secure cloud perimeters, and infrastructure access controls across cloud and physical lab/office environments. Experience with Azure is a major plus.
• Safeguard high-value engineering compute environments, CAD/EDA tools, and proprietary chip design repositories against external exfiltration and unauthorized access.
• Implement robust Identity & Access Management policies, fine-grained Role-Based Access Control, Multi-Factor Authentication, and automated access review cycles.
• Threat Detection, Vulnerability Management & Incident Response
• Design and execute end-to-end vulnerability management processes, covering continuous asset scanning, prioritization, and coordinated remediation tracking with engineering teams.
• Build, maintain, and test the incident response runbook; serve as the primary incident commander during security events, conducting forensic analysis and root-cause post-mortems.
• Establish SIEM/EDR tooling, intrusion detection, and continuous logging across endpoints, servers, and cloud infrastructure to detect unauthorized access attempts in real time.
• Customer & Vendor Security Assurance
• Support technical defense discussions and security assessments with customers and investors.
• Conduct vendor risk management assessments for third-party SaaS and infrastructure tools entering the company’s software stack.
• Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC)
• Own the security compliance library, authoring and enforcing acceptable use, data classification, network segmentation, and disaster recovery policies.
• Support our SOC 2 Type II certification program (utilizing platforms such as Vanta or Drata) in coordination with engineering, General Counsel, and external auditors.
• Collaborate with the General Counsel to establish secure data handling, export control safeguards, and access controls.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of combined experience in infrastructure security, security engineering, or cybersecurity management, including 3+ years leading a security program at a hardware, semiconductor, or high-growth tech company.
• Deep hands-on expertise in cloud security, network defense, IAM infrastructure, and endpoint protection.
• Direct experience leading incident response runbooks, threat hunting, and containment in production/cloud environments.
• Exceptional ability to articulate complex security concepts to executive leadership, core engineering teams, and enterprise security auditors.
• Ability to manage external vendors to support the IT needs of the organization until we hire a dedicated IT leader, or to manage IT and security together.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with GRC automation platforms and Infrastructure as Code security analysis tools.
• Experience securing semiconductor EDA/CAD workflows, Linux compute clusters, or physical R&D lab environments.
• Proven track record of guiding a company through SOC 2 Type II audits and operationalizing frameworks such as NIST CSF or ISO 27001.
• Practical understanding of export control compliance requirements as applied to IT infrastructure and source data management.

What We Offer

• This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in an innovative startup redefining the future of AI hardware. Work on game-changing technology at the intersection of photonics and AI as part of a collaborative, brilliant team. You’ll contribute to a platform that redefines computational performance and accelerates the future of artificial intelligence. Come help us bring this transformative technology to the world.

Benefits

• Join a team that invests in your future and your well-being. At Neurophos, we offer:
• 100% coverage of base health plan premiums for you and your dependents, plus HSA contributions.
• Unlimited PTO. No rigid vacation banks, just a focus on delivery.
• 401(k) matching and stock option opportunities to ensure our success is your success.
• Full suite of voluntary benefits, including Dental, Vision, Life, Hospital, Critical Illness, and Accident insurance.
• Personalized Benefits. Choose the plans that fit your life and take the cash back for those that don’t.