Senior Software Engineer

Job Title

Senior Software Engineer

Role Summary

Join PQShield's cryptography software team to design and implement secure embedded software for classical and post-quantum cryptography on constrained platforms (ARM, RISC-V, FPGA). You will work across the software development lifecycle to develop, harden, and integrate cryptographic primitives and libraries with platform hardware and system APIs.

Experience Level

Senior — seniority assessed by depth of cryptographic engineering knowledge and hands-on experience. The posting notes a preference for 2+ years of professional cryptographic software experience, but evaluates candidates primarily on technical depth and practical skill.

Responsibilities

Deliver secure, correct, and performant cryptographic software and support integration and verification across hardware and system layers.

• Design, implement, and test classical and post-quantum cryptographic primitives with emphasis on correctness, interoperability, and performance.
• Integrate and accelerate cryptographic code on hardware platforms (FPGA, coprocessors) and on ARM and RISC-V targets.
• Harden implementations against side-channel and fault-injection attacks using constant-time design and other countermeasures.
• Integrate cryptography with system and application APIs (examples: GlobalPlatform, ARM PSA, Linux kernel drivers).
• Collaborate with cryptographers, security engineers, hardware and verification teams; participate in design and code reviews.
• Perform security-focused code reviews and static/dynamic analysis; apply formal methods where applicable.
• Benchmark and optimize performance across platforms; maintain and improve existing cryptographic software.
• Support compliance activities relevant to cryptographic standards (FIPS, ISO/IEC, NIST PQC) and participate in threat modeling and risk assessment.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience required to perform the role.

• Proficiency in C and Assembly for resource-constrained, bare-metal environments.
• Practical experience implementing and debugging cryptographic code on embedded systems (ARM, RISC-V).
• Familiarity with classical and post-quantum cryptographic algorithms, including NIST PQC candidates, and knowledge of NIST/FIPS publications and compliance implications.
• Experience applying countermeasures to mitigate side-channel attacks (timing, power, EM) and fault attacks.
• Experience integrating software with hardware accelerators, FPGA platforms, or cryptographic coprocessors.
• Strong problem-solving, debugging, and code-review skills; familiarity with static and dynamic analysis tools.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with Rust.
• Hands-on knowledge of security certification frameworks (FIPS 140-3, SESIP, PSA Certified, Common Criteria).
• Experience with formal methods (model checking) and performance benchmarking across platforms.

Education Requirements

Master's or PhD in computer science, mathematics, or a related field with a strong background in cryptography or computer security. (Degree requirement stated in the posting.)

About the Company

Company: PQShield

Headquarters: Oxford, United Kingdom

PQShield develops cryptographic and hardware security solutions focused on post-quantum resistant encryption, secure cryptographic IP and secure silicon/software integration. Founded in 2018, the company works with hardware designers and enterprises to deploy quantum-resistant security products.