Member of Technical Staff - Security Engineering

About the Role

As a Junior Security Engineer, you’ll join xAI’s security team to support and maintain the security posture of the infrastructure and systems powering our AI initiatives. Working under the guidance of senior security professionals, you’ll assist with vulnerability management, security monitoring, threat detection, and implementing controls to protect sensitive AI research and development environments. This entry-level role offers hands-on experience in security engineering, from basic threat analysis and tool configuration to compliance support, all while contributing to xAI’s goal of accelerating human scientific discovery through secure, cutting-edge AI. Expect to dive into real-world security challenges, learn rapidly, and grow your skills in a fast-paced, collaborative setting.

Responsibilities

• Assist in monitoring security alerts, investigating potential incidents, and supporting incident response efforts.
• Help perform vulnerability scans, assess findings, and apply patches or mitigations under supervision.
• Support the configuration and maintenance of security tools (e.g., firewalls, endpoint protection, IDS/IPS, SIEM basics).
• Aid in managing user access controls, identity systems, and enforcing security policies (e.g., least privilege, MFA).
• Contribute to basic network and cloud security tasks, including reviewing configurations and assisting with secure setups in environments like AWS or GCP.
• Maintain documentation for security procedures, incidents, and compliance artifacts to build the team’s knowledge base.
• Track security assets, vulnerabilities, and remediation progress.
• Assist in implementing security best practices, such as encryption, logging, and basic hardening of systems.
• Collaborate with the security and IT teams on projects, audits, and infrastructure security improvements to support xAI’s scaling needs.
• Provide support and basic guidance to employees on security awareness and tools as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Familiarity with operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, with basic security troubleshooting skills.
• Understanding of fundamental security concepts (e.g., CIA triad, common vulnerabilities, encryption basics).
• Basic knowledge of networking (e.g., TCP/IP, firewalls, VPNs) and cloud platforms.
• Exposure to security tools or practices (e.g., antivirus, patching, basic scripting for automation).
• Strong problem-solving abilities and an eagerness to learn security concepts quickly.
• Excellent communication skills for interacting with team members and reporting findings.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.
• Effective time management to handle multiple tasks in a dynamic setting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate’s degree, coursework, or certifications in Cybersecurity, Information Security, Computer Science, or a related field (e.g., CompTIA Security+, CCNA Security basics).
• Entry-level experience (e.g., internships, projects, or personal labs) in security operations, vulnerability management, or IT with security focus.
• Basic scripting experience (e.g., Python, Bash, or PowerShell) for security tasks.
• Exposure to cloud security basics (e.g., AWS Security Groups, IAM) or high-performance/AI environments.
• Interest in AI security challenges, such as model protection or data privacy in ML systems.

Interview Process

After submitting your application, the team reviews your CV and statement of exceptional work. If your application passes this stage, you will be invited to a 15 minute interview (“phone interview”) during which a member of our team will ask some basic questions. If you clear the initial phone interview, you will enter the main process, which consists of 2 technical interviews and 1 project deep-dive interview:

1. Practical coding assessment in a language of your choice.
2. Systems design hands-on: Demonstrate practical skills in a live problem-solving session.
3. Project deep-dive: Present and answer questions about exceptional work that you’ve done.
4. Meet and greet with the wider team.

Our goal is to finish the main process within one week. Final interviews will be conducted in person.

Annual Salary Range

$120,000 - $160,000 USD

Benefits

Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at xAI, which also includes equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks.