Research Engineer - Cryptography

Within Riverside Research, the Open Innovation Center (OIC) conducts internally funded and contract-funded R&D to develop technologies with lasting practical impact. The Secure and Resilient Systems (SRS) group within OIC focuses on rigorous approaches to building trustworthy computing systems.

SRS seeks a Research Engineer - Cryptography to develop, prototype and evaluate cryptographic solutions (primitives, protocols, systems, etc.). The engineer will contribute to a range of collaborative R&D projects, working with colleagues across formal methods, cryptography, and programming languages.

We are looking for a research engineer with a background in cryptography interested in applying their skillset to a wide-range of problems including, but not limited to, multiparty computation (MPC), cryptographic device design and implementation, and cryptographic implementation analysis. A strong candidate has worked on implementing cryptographic primitives, read standards and research on cryptography, and are familiar with implementation-specific attacks on cryptography.

Implement and analyze cryptographic solutions.
• Develop efficient solutions and integrate into larger applications.
• Follow software engineering best practices; design, develop, review, test, and validate software.
• Collaborate on multidisciplinary research with colleagues in formal methods, cryptography, programming languages, systems software, and related areas.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, cybersecurity, or a related field; 3+ years of relevant engineering experience.

• Experience in implementing cryptographic schemes, primitives, and distributed systems.
• Proficiency in systems programming languages (C, C++, Rust) with the ability to learn Rust.

• Ability to communicate complex concepts clearly in writing and in presentations, and to collaborate effectively with researchers from different disciplines.

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

Desired Qualifications

Beneficial but not required:

• Experience implementing cryptography with the Rust programming language.
• Experience working with embedded systems.

• Experience evaluating implementations for cryptographic weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
• Experience working on certified cryptographic systems.
• Experience in optimizing and benchmarking applications.
• Research experience in cryptography and cryptographic protocol development.
• A publication record or other demonstrated contributions to research in security or cryptography.
• Familiarity with recent post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards and primitives.

• Existing TS security clearance.