Full-Time

ISE Space Component Security Specialist

Nooks

Nooks

51-200 employees

Platform enabling classified government–private collaboration

Compensation Overview

$135k - $155k/yr

+ Equity Opportunity

No H1B Sponsorship

Vandenberg AFB, CA, USA

In Person

US Citizenship, US Top Secret Clearance Required

Category
Security & Protective Services
Required Skills
Vulnerability Analysis
Requirements
  • Five to eight years of professional experience in government or industrial security, specifically supporting Department of Defense or Intelligence Community programs.
  • Must possess and maintain an Active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) eligibility clearance; U.S. Citizenship is required; candidates must be capable of maintaining eligibility up to the Top Secret/SCI level within 45 days of hire.
  • Broad, hands-on experience across two of the three security disciplines, including Physical Security (PHYSEC) plus Personnel Security (PERSEC) and/or Industrial Security (INDUSEC); Information Security (INFOSEC) experience is a plus.
  • Regulatory knowledge of ICD 705 and related DoD physical security policies; experience with physical access control systems, intrusion detection systems, and alarm monitoring processes.
  • Bachelor’s degree in National Security, Cybersecurity, or a related field (additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree).
  • Space domain knowledge and understanding of security requirements for space systems and ground stations.
  • Clearance eligibility maintenance and U.S. Citizenship; travel up to 10%.
Responsibilities
  • Direct Command Support: Serve as the primary security point of contact for Space Component Command leadership and staff to ensure mission-critical assets are protected.
  • Data Collection & Reporting: Gather field-level data and operational metrics to provide security discipline experts with the information needed to refine Integrated Security Enterprise (ISE) policies and digital tools.
  • Physical Security: Support construction security activities for new Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility builds or modifications to existing facilities; review construction plans, drawings, and change requests to ensure alignment with physical security requirements; coordinate with facilities, construction, and IT teams to ensure maintenance and upgrades are executed in compliance with ICD 705.
  • Program Protection: Implement and maintain Program Protection Plans (PPPs) for sensitive space systems and ground components within the theater.
  • Liaison Operations: Coordinate security protocols with host nation partners and inter-agency stakeholders to ensure alignment across the theater of operations.
  • Risk Mitigation: Conduct localized risk assessments and vulnerability analyses of space-related facilities to identify and report security gaps.
  • Security Readiness: Deliver specialized security briefings and training to command personnel to ensure a high state of readiness and compliance.
  • Feedback Loop: Provide continuous feedback to the Integrated Security Enterprise (ISE) Product team regarding the performance and utility of digital security products in the field.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience in Information Security (INFOSEC) and professional certifications such as Security Fundamentals Professional Certificate (SFPC), Security Professional Certification (SPSC), or Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

Nooks offers a platform-as-a-service that enables government agencies and private defense/space firms to collaborate on classified projects. It accelerates tech adoption in national security by handling facility clearance sponsorship and personnel clearances, simplifying compliance and onboarding. The platform provides secure workflows and vendor-access controls, expanding options for vendors while managing the complexities of clearance processes. Its veteran-led team focuses on moving faster, reducing costs, and letting clients concentrate on their core work within the government–private sector ecosystem.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series A

Total Funding

$32.7M

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Founded

2021

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • $25M Series A from Zigg Capital, Upper90, SAIC, Lockheed Martin validates model.
  • Defense primes co-invest, signaling equity partnerships over customer sales.
  • Federal demand grows for private CIaaS in secure national security projects.

What critics are saying

  • Name confusion with SF AI sales Nooks.ai erodes brand clarity immediately.
  • Defense budget cuts in 2026 slash CIaaS contracts within 12 months.
  • SAIC and Lockheed Martin acquire Nooks by 2027, ending independence.

What makes Nooks unique

  • Nooks delivers Classified-Infrastructure-as-a-Service for secure classified workspaces.
  • Platform bridges government agencies and private defense firms for collaboration.
  • Handles facility and personnel clearances to accelerate tech adoption.

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Benefits

Stock Options

Company Equity

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

4%

1 year growth

2%

2 year growth

-5%
FinSMEs
Jun 9th, 2025
Nooks Closes $25M Series A Funding

Nooks, a Crystal City, VA-based classified-infrastructure-as-a-service (CIaaS) model company for workspaces, raised $25M in Series A funding.

Nooks
Jun 9th, 2025
Nooks Closes $25M Series A Funding Round with Unmatched Team of Industry Leaders

Nooks raises $25M Series A to expand its subscription-access classified workspaces. Backed by Zigg Capital, Upper90, SAIC, and Lockheed Martin, Nooks is redefining access to secure, flexible classified workspaces for government and defense.

MB News
Jun 9th, 2025
Nooks Raises $25M in Series A Funding

Nooks has closed a $25M Series A funding round, partnering with Zigg Capital, Upper90, SAIC, and Lockheed Martin. The funding will enhance Nooks' Classified-Infrastructure-as-a-Service (CIaaS) model, aiming to improve secure collaboration for government and industry. The investment will support Nooks' growth in key markets and its integration of advanced technologies, with a focus on transforming classified infrastructure access.

Forbes
Aug 3rd, 2023
Small Companies Can’T Access Classified Work Without A Secure Space To Work In

A modular SCIF facility designed by Maryland-based builder, Modular Genius. Modular GeniusIf your small defense business has desirable technology that the government considers classified, you’ll need a secure workspace before you can secure government work. It’s a Catch-22 that Congress wants to alleviate.The 2024 National Defense Authorization Act includes language from both the House and Senate meant to open up existing classified work-spaces to small businesses.Building or gaining access to a government-approved secure workspace is a costly burden that adds to the already thorny problems defense startups face in getting security clearances for their employees and in getting their companies as a whole “covered” or cleared to work on classified projects.Such hurdles curb or prevent innovative, potentially war-winning technologies and ideas from being embraced and applied by the Pentagon says Andrew “Scar” Van Timmeren, vice president of government solutions for Blue Force Technologies, a small North Carolina-based business which recently secured a contract to build prototype unmanned adversary training aircraft for the Air Force.A former USAF F-22 pilot, Van Timmeren has seen the problem surface repeatedly among the cohort of defense startups traveling in the same circles as Blue Force, shutting them out of potentially meaningful contracts and contributions to national security.“It’s remarkably easy for continued contracts to go to incumbents within the cleared [classified] space because of the time and effort it takes to increase the number of new businesses that have access to cleared [workspace].”Van Timmeren cites an example wherein defense program managers are evaluating candidates to perform radar cross section survivability analysis of an aircraft. There’s already a cleared company with its own approved secure workspace. Another new firm may want to enter into that mix. But for DoD, “the easy button is to just go to the incumbent which may not be a small business.”Setting up a secure workspace isn’t easy

intelligence360
Jul 19th, 2022
San Francisco California based Nooks is raising $5,000,000.00 in New Equity Investment.

San Francisco, CA - According to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Nooks is raising $5,000,000.00 in new funding. Sources indicate as part of senior management Chief Executive Officer, Sean Blackman played a