Cybersecurity Engineer - Cybersecurity Aircraft Team

Department:

Technology

Our Company Promise

We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.

Job Description:

As a Cybersecurity Engineer on the Cybersecurity Aircraft Team, you’ll help protect the aircraft systems and aviation technologies essential to Southwest’s safe, reliable operation. You’ll build, test, and support cybersecurity solutions while partnering across Engineering, Flight Operations, Technical Operations, Enterprise Cybersecurity, aircraft manufacturers, regulators, and industry organizations to identify and address cyber risks in a safety-critical environment. You’ll provide security guidance, investigate vulnerabilities and system issues, perform hands-on testing, and implement enhancements that strengthen the security and resilience of Southwest’s aircraft ecosystem. Through direct collaboration with the FAA, manufacturers, and industry peers, you’ll also help mature the aircraft cybersecurity program, support continued airworthiness, and maintain regulatory readiness. Your work will help ensure Southwest’s aviation technologies remain secure, compliant, and prepared to support the operation today and into the future.

Additional Details

• This role is offered as a remote workplace position, which may require travel for training, meetings, conferences, etc. Outside of those required visits, the majority of your working time may be spent in a remote location, away from our Corporate Campus. Please note, while this is a remote position, there is a limited group of states or localities ineligible for Employees to regularly perform their work. Those ineligible locations are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Washington, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico.  
• U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the U.S. required and no current or future work authorization sponsorship available.

We’re committed to fair hiring practices and to making employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics. 

Responsibilities

• Provide security guidance to application and Partner Teams to remediate security vulnerabilities, risk items, and policy exceptions
• Deliver training for clients in use of the key Cybersecurity systems, and automated environments
• Identify Cybersecurity problems, plan solutions, recommend software and systems, and coordinate developments in an orderly manner to meet business requirements
• Oversee immediate response and maintenance to production program issues
• Partner with production testers to identify defects and complete testing
• Test and implement system enhancements using techniques that preserve system integrity
• Partner to maintain systems, manage escalation issues and regular functionality
• Triage, research potential defects, and complete repairs. Transition of features to Business support
• Maintain established procedures and standards to ensure high quality and quantity of work
• Partner and lead communication within internal and cross-functional teams to achieve goals
• May perform other job duties as directed by Employee's Leaders

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of Agile best practices
• Knowledge of at least one existing element in value pipeline, such as PingFederate, eDirectory, Active Directory, CyberArk, or Micro Focus IDM
• Knowledge of at least one scripting and development language such as Python, Go, or Javascript
• Skilled in at least one cloud computing technology and its concepts, such as AWS
• Skilled in infrastructure-as-code (IaC) development (Terraform, CloudFormation or similar) and automated configuration management using configuration-as-code (CaC) development (Chef, Puppet, Ansible or similar)
• Skilled in implementing Cybersecurity specific Unit Tests for elements
• Skilled in performance, logging and Cybersecurity monitoring tools
• Skilled in delivering valuable software and the ability to reason about it
• Skilled in excellent communication, collaboration, organization, problem solving, and prioritization skills

Education

• Required: High School Diploma or GED
• Required: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information systems or similar fields of study or equivalent advanced level experience

Experience

• Required: Intermediate-level experience, fully functioning broad knowledge in developing, implementing, or integrating technologies for Enterprise security
• Preferred: Experience performing penetration testing, technical assessments, or vulnerability assessments for embedded devices, operational technology (OT), or safety-critical systems
• Preferred: Experience coordinating cybersecurity risk assessments, vulnerability management, and remediation activities
• Preferred: Experience with NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), NIST 800-series publications, or similar cybersecurity risk management frameworks
• Preferred: Knowledge of aviation cybersecurity standards, including ARINC, RTCA, SAE, or related regulatory guidance
• Preferred: Experience supporting aviation cybersecurity programs and partnering with the FAA, manufacturers, or industry stakeholders

Licensing/Certification

• N/A

Physical Abilities

• Ability to perform work duties from [limited space work station/desk/office area] for extended periods of time
• Ability to communicate and interact with others in the English language to meet the demands of the job
• Ability to use a computer and other office productivity tools with sufficient speed and accuracy to meet the demands of the job

Other Qualifications

• Must maintain a well-groomed appearance per Company appearance standards as described in established guidelines
• Must be a U.S. citizen or have authorization to work in the United States as defined by the Immigration Reform Act of 1986
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Must be able to comply with Company attendance standards as described in established guidelines
• Must be able to travel and /or attend Company and non-Company facilities and remote locations such as remote-based offices as necessary

Pay & Benefits

Competitive market salary from $119,900 per year to $133,200 per year* depending on qualifications and experience. For eligible Leadership and individual contributor roles, additional bonus opportunities are available and awarded at the discretion of the company.

 

Benefits you’ll love:

• Fly for free, as a privilege, on any open seat on all Southwest flights (your eligible dependents too)
• Southwest will help fund your 401(k) retirement savings with Company contributions up to 9.3% of your eligible earnings**
• Potential for annual ProfitSharing contribution in the Southwest Retirement Savings Plan- when Southwest profits, you profit***
• Competitive health insurance for you and your eligible dependents (including pets)
• Southwest offers health plan coverage options that start from the very first day of employment. You will have 30 days to select and enroll in your health plan with coverage retroactively available to your first day of employment.
• Explore more Benefits you’ll love: https://careers.southwestair.com/benefits

*Pay amount does not guarantee employment for any particular period of time.

**401(k) match contributions are subject to Retirement Savings Plan vesting schedule and applicable IRS limits ***ProfitSharing contributions are subject to Retirement Savings Plan vesting schedule and are made at the discretion of the Company.

Southwest Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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