Lead Engineer – Quantum Safe Cryptography
Are you passionate about cryptography and ready to lead the development of quantum-safe solutions? We are seeking a Lead Engineer to help drive our cryptographic product strategy and deliver scalable, secure systems that will redefine the future of cybersecurity. You will work directly with our CTO and CEO to spearhead cutting-edge projects across industries, from telecommunications to finance. This is your chance to make a lasting impact in the next era of secure communication technologies
Key Responsibilities:
Technical Leadership & Strategy:
- Lead the software development and engineering efforts to build and scale our quantum safe cryptography platform.
- Collaborate closely with the CTO to define the technical and engineering strategy, ensuring it aligns with the product roadmap and business goals.
- Develop a clear technical vision for our cryptographic solutions, including key management, encryption, and secure authentication mechanisms.
- Provide technical expertise in cryptography standards (e.g., NIST/NCSC/NIS PQC standards) and quantum safe security to support the development of secure solutions.
- Implement security -led software development practices and processes
Product Development & Strategy:
- Contribute to the overall product strategy by translating cryptographic requirements into scalable and secure solutions.
- Ensure that the product architecture can meet the needs of multiple industries, integrating specific security and compliance requirements.
- Work with product and business development teams to design and deliver secure authentication, data protection, and key management solutions that meet industry standards.
- Support the transition of the product from development to a market-ready solution
Project Management:
- Lead and manage complex, multi-disciplinary projects that span across industries, balancing in-house resources and external suppliers.
- Oversee the engineering team to ensure timely and successful delivery of technical solutions.
- Establish and maintain project timelines, key deliverables, and risk management plans, ensuring projects stay within scope and budget.
Collaboration & Team Leadership:
- Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing engineering team that focuses on cryptographic and cybersecurity solutions.
- Foster a collaborative environment with cross-functional teams, including product, security, and external vendors, to ensure the delivery of high-quality products.
- Serve as the technical expert for internal and external stakeholders, providing technical guidance and solutions in security, cryptography, and authentication.
External Collaboration:
- Manage relationships with external suppliers and partners, ensuring alignment with project goals and technical requirements.
- Evaluate and integrate external technologies and solutions, where appropriate, into the product architecture.
Innovation & Research:
- Stay updated on the latest advancements in post-quantum cryptography and related fields, identifying opportunities to apply emerging technologies within the product.
- Lead R&D efforts to integrate novel cryptographic approaches, maintaining a forward-looking approach to secure systems.
Skills & Qualifications:
Technical Expertise:
- 8+ years of experience in software development for security, cryptography, or a closely related field.
- Experience project managing and leading complex scalable software development projects across a range of architecture
- Expertise in cryptography, including experience with modern encryption algorithms, key management, digital signatures, and post-quantum cryptography concepts.
- In-depth understanding of cryptographic protocols (e.g., TLS, IPSec, PKI, etc.) and authentication mechanisms (e.g., multi-factor authentication, secure token-based systems).
- Familiarity with cryptographic standards and regulatory frameworks (e.g., NIST PQC and pre-quantum cryptographic standards).
- Development experience in a range of contexts such as for embedded devices, IoT, telecoms, low level networking functions.
- Experience in problem solving and overcoming technical and engineering challenges
Project & Team Management:
- Proven experience in leading and managing complex, multi-industry projects, especially involving both in-house teams and external suppliers.
- Strong project management skills with a history of delivering scalable and secure solutions on time and within budget.
- Experience in agile methodologies and an understanding of SecDevOps practices and implementing them.
- Demonstrated experience in leading development teams, recruiting talent, and managing outsourcing partners
Collaboration & Leadership:
- Ability to work closely with a diverse set of stakeholders, including non-technical, CTO, product managers, engineers, and external partners.
- Proven leadership ability with experience in managing and mentoring engineering teams.
- Excellent communication skills, able to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Strategic Thinking:
- Ability to contribute to and influence both product and technical strategies.
- Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on innovative, scalable, and secure solutions.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Some knowledge and interest in post-quantum cryptography, including involvement in NIST PQC standardisation or similar initiatives.
- Experience working in high-security industries (e.g., financial services, healthcare, government, telecommunications, big tech).
- Experience with integrating security solutions across distributed environments and multiple platforms.
- MSc or PHD in relevant field
Location:
Leeds/Hybrid.
Compensation:
Salary based on experience (starting at £75k), equity options, and benefits package.