Physical Security Lead

Job description

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it. Role: As Physical Security Lead, you will design, implement, and manage the physical security program that protects Northwood's personnel, facilities, and operations across corporate offices, ground station sites, and international environments. This is a senior leadership role for a practitioner with deep expertise across facility security, executive protection, and travel security, and who brings the operational judgment required to secure a rapidly scaling dual-use space communications company operating in sensitive and complex environments. You will build and lead a physical security team, own the security posture of Northwood's domestic and international facilities, develop executive protection programs for senior leadership, and serve as a key partner to the Facility Security Officer on NISPOM-related obligations. This role works in close collaboration with the Head of Security, legal counsel, and facilities teams, and reports to the Head of Security. Responsibilities: Facility Security - Own the physical security program across all Northwood corporate offices and ground station facilities, including access control systems, surveillance infrastructure, intrusion detection, visitor management, and perimeter security. - Conduct regular physical security assessments across facilities, identifying vulnerabilities and driving remediation in alignment with government customer requirements and industry best practices. - Design and implement physical security standards for new facility builds and ground station site deployments, ensuring security requirements are incorporated from the planning phase through commissioning. - Manage relationships with physical security vendors, integrators, and contract security personnel, ensuring service levels and performance standards are consistently met. - Develop and maintain emergency response plans, evacuation procedures, and crisis communication protocols for all facilities, and conduct regular drills to validate readiness. Ground Station Security - Develop and enforce physical security standards for Northwood's ground station network, including site hardening, access control, and monitoring for facilities operating in remote and internationally distributed locations. - Partner with network and security engineering teams to ensure physical and logical security controls are integrated and mutually reinforcing at ground station sites. - Conduct site security assessments for new ground station deployments, providing physical security requirements to site selection, construction, and commissioning teams. - Establish and maintain security protocols for third-party access to ground station facilities, including vendor escorts, access logging, and site-specific security briefings. Executive Protection - Design and manage an executive protection program for Northwood's senior leadership, including threat assessment, travel security planning, and on-the-ground protective support for domestic and international travel. - Conduct advance work for executive travel, including route planning, venue assessment, and coordination with local security resources and law enforcement where appropriate. - Develop and maintain executive protection protocols, escalation procedures, and emergency response plans in coordination with the Head of Security and legal counsel. - Monitor the threat landscape for risks relevant to Northwood's leadership and operations, providing timely briefings and actionable recommendations. International Travel Security - Own Northwood's international travel security program, including pre-travel risk assessments, country-specific security briefings, traveler tracking, and emergency support protocols for personnel operating in elevated-risk environments. - Develop and maintain travel security policies and procedures, including guidance for personnel traveling to ITAR-sensitive destinations or operating in environments with heightened counterintelligence risk. - Coordinate with government agencies, security consultants, and in-country resources to maintain current threat intelligence for regions where Northwood personnel operate. - Provide security briefings and training for employees traveling internationally, with targeted content for personnel handling CUI or operating under ITAR obligations. NISPOM & FSO Support - Support the Facility Security Officer in administering Northwood's personnel security program in accordance with NISPOM requirements, including visit authorization requests, security clearance processing coordination, and cleared personnel management. - Assist in maintaining facility accreditation documentation, DD Form 254 compliance, and government customer security requirements related to physical access and controlled areas. - Coordinate classified visit requests and ensure physical access to controlled areas is managed in strict alignment with DCSA requirements and government customer obligations. - Support insider threat program activities in coordination with the Security Operations Lead and GRC Lead, including physical security–related indicators and reporting procedures. Team Leadership - Hire, mentor, and develop a physical security team including security coordinators and contract security personnel as Northwood's facility footprint scales. - Define team operating procedures, performance standards, and on-call responsibilities to ensure consistent security coverage across all facilities. - Serve as the primary physical security subject-matter expert in cross-functional collaboration with facilities, legal, HR, and security engineering teams. Basic Qualifications: - 5+ years of progressive physical security experience, with demonstrated leadership of physical security programs in a corporate, defense, or critical infrastructure environment. - Hands-on experience designing and managing physical security systems, including access control, CCTV, intrusion detection, and visitor management platforms. - Experience developing and executing executive protection programs, including advance work, threat assessment, and travel security planning. - Demonstrated experience managing international travel security programs, including risk assessment, traveler tracking, and emergency response protocols. - Familiarity with NISPOM and the personnel security requirements applicable to cleared defense contractors, including visit authorization procedures and controlled area management. - Experience conducting physical security assessments and developing remediation plans across multiple facilities. - Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to brief executive leadership and government customers on physical security posture and risk. - Ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance. - U.S. citizenship or status as a lawful permanent resident required to conform with ITAR export regulations. Preferred Qualifications: - Active TS clearance or higher. - Experience supporting a Facility Security Officer in a cleared defense contractor environment, including DCSA inspection preparation and DD Form 254 administration. - Background in military, law enforcement, federal law enforcement, or intelligence community protective operations. - Experience securing facilities and personnel in international environments with elevated geopolitical or counterintelligence risk. - Familiarity with insider threat program requirements and integration of physical security indicators into broader insider threat detection programs. - Experience with physical security technology platforms, including enterprise access control and video management systems. - Knowledge of ITAR travel and technology control requirements relevant to personnel operating internationally. - Professional certifications such as Certified Protection Professional (CPP), Physical Security Professional (PSP), or equivalent credentials. Additional Requirements: - This position requires successfully obtaining and maintaining a Top Secret Security Clearance as a condition of employment. While the clearance may not be immediately necessary upon hire, we encourage you to initiate the application process promptly upon accepting this offer. Your ability to secure the necessary clearance is essential for fulfilling key responsibilities of the role. Should you be unable to obtain it, Northwood Space reserves the right to modify or terminate your employment to align with optional needs. Additional Information: If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know. To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.