Senior Elastic Engineer; EDR​/Defend Focus

Location: Colorado Springs, CO – Schriever Space Force Base or Huntsville, AL – Redstone Arsenal
Clearance Required: Active Secret Clearance (or higher)
Travel Required: Up to 10%

Launch Tech is seeking a Senior Elastic Engineer (EDR/Defend Focus) to support the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). This role is critical in designing, deploying, and optimizing the Elastic Stack environment with a specialized focus on Elastic EDR and Defend capabilities. You will help strengthen cybersecurity posture across the enterprise by enabling advanced detection, prevention, and analysis through a highly tuned Elastic environment.

As a Senior Elastic Engineer (EDR/Defend Focus), you will:

• Be a key contributor to the design, implementation, and maintenance of the Elastic Stack environment, with a primary focus on Elastic EDR and Defend

• Ensure the security, scalability, and performance of the Elastic Stack infrastructure, integrating it with existing security tools and workflows

• Architect, deploy, and maintain a highly available and scalable Elastic Stack environment specializing in Elastic EDR/Defend

• Configure and optimize Elastic EDR/Defend policies and data pipelines for threat detection, prevention, and security event enrichment

• Develop and maintain Kibana dashboards and visualizations for real-time monitoring, threat identification, and incident response tracking

• Perform proactive threat hunting and in-depth security analysis using Elastic EDR/Defend

• Troubleshoot complex Elastic Stack issues, develop documentation, and mentor junior engineers to ensure operational excellence

The successful candidate will have:

• Expert knowledge of the Elastic Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana)

• Expert knowledge of Elastic EDR and Defend capabilities

• Strong understanding of data indexing, sharding, replication, and lifecycle management

• Strong understanding of Linux and Windows operating systems

• Strong understanding of security principles, threat detection, and incident response

• Knowledge of common coding flaws and security vulnerabilities

• Knowledge of network protocols and security concepts

• Knowledge of security frameworks and compliance standards (NIST, FedRAMP)

• Ability to interpret and incorporate data from multiple tool sources

• Ability to analyze complex requirements and translate them into clear, actionable tasks

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Basic Requirements:

• Must have 10, or more, years of general (full-time) work experience

  • May be reduced with completion of advanced education

• Must have 5, or more, years of experience working with the Elastic Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana)

• Must have 3, or more, years of experience implementing and managing Elastic EDR and Defend solutions

• Must have 2, or more, years of experience in a lead or senior role mentoring and guiding team members

• Must have 1, or more, years of experience working in a management or leadership role

• Must have a strong understanding of security principles, threat detection, and incident response

• Must have experience with data ingestion, processing, and enrichment techniques

• Must be proficient in at least one scripting language (Python, Bash, Power Shell)

• Must have a current DoD 8570.01-M IAT Level II certification with Continuing Education (CCNA-Security, CySA+, GICSP, GSEC, Security+ CE, CND, SSCP)

• Must have an active DoD Secret Security Clearance

• Must be able to obtain an active DoD Top Secret Security Clearance

Desired Requirements:

• Have experience with Linux and Windows Server administration

• Have experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes)

• Have experience with automation tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef)

• Have experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)

• Have experience with SIEM technologies and security event management

• Have experience with security frameworks and compliance standards (NIST, FedRAMP)

• Have a strong understanding of network protocols and security concepts

• Have experience with threat intelligence platforms and data feeds

• Have one or more relevant security certifications (CISSP, CISM, CEH)

• Have experience tuning and…