Cryptographic Analyst

Role Overview:

We are offering an exciting opportunity for a Cryptographic Analyst to join our innovative Research & Development (R&D) team. This position is perfect for a candidate with a strong background in cryptography, security, and post-quantum solutions, ideally with a PhD (or Masters) in cryptography, mathematics, or a related subject who is eager to apply their academic knowledge and research skills to real-world, high impact commercial projects. You will work closely with the CTO, research and development team, and Lead Engineer to design, analyse, and develop cutting-edge cryptographic solutions that secure our platform for the post-quantum era.

The role will involve further developing a novel method of quantum-safe cryptographic key distribution that is optimised to replace existing standards like Elliptic-Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH), balancing security needs with performance and efficiency across different industry use cases.

In this role, you will help ensure that our cryptographic solutions comply with global standards and regulations. You will work with standards authorities and regulators to test, validate, and approve our cryptographic systems in various global markets.

Key Responsibilities:

Research & Cryptography Development:

• Conduct applied cryptographic research, contributing to the development of secure quantum-safe cryptographic solutions.
• Work closely with the R&D team, CTO and Lead Engineer to design, test, analyse, and implement cryptographic protocols and algorithms for key distribution and authentication.
• Evaluate and analyse the security of key distribution and authentication algorithms, and benchmark against existing cryptographic algorithms.
• Extend research into other, related cryptographic techniques such as signing and encryption, and analyse their relationship with Cavero’s quantum-safe techniques.
• Use mathematical and cryptographic background to help produce mathematical models and security proofs

Algorithm Analysis & Testing:

• Analyse and test cryptographic algorithms and protocols to ensure they meet security, performance, and scalability requirements.
• Contribute to the development of and maintain security modelling software
• Identify vulnerabilities and assist in cryptanalysis to assess the robustness of our cryptographic implementations against current and future threats.
• Collaborate with others to produce proof-of-concept demonstrations utilising quantum-safe cryptographic techniques in development in a variety of scenarios.

Collaboration with R&D and Engineering Teams:

• Collaborate with the R&D team to integrate academic research into practical cryptographic solutions.
• Work alongside the Lead Engineer and engineering team to translate cryptographic research into scalable, commercial products.
• Contribute to internal technical discussions, sharing insights and findings from research to inform product and security strategies.
• Contribute to technical discussions with potential partners applying cryptographic expertise to assist in the implementation of Cavero’s quantum-safe technologies.

Quantum-Safe Cryptography Focus:

• Focus on developing and testing cryptographic solutions that address quantum-safe security challenges.
• Stay informed about the latest advancements in post-quantum cryptography and contribute to projects aligned with NIST PQC standards and other emerging standards.
• Explore novel cryptographic algorithms and protocols, particularly those resistant to quantum computing attacks.

Documentation & Knowledge Sharing:

• Document cryptographic research, experiments, and solutions for both internal and external audiences.
• Contribute to the development of technical papers, reports, and publications that showcase the R&D team’s progress and achievements.
• Actively participate in knowledge sharing, helping to bridge academic research with commercial applications.
• Share and discuss cutting-edge developments in quantum-safe security with the R&D team.

Engagement with Standards Authorities & Regulators:

• Work with standards authorities and regulators to validate and approve cryptographic solutions for various global markets.
• Work with the team to ensure compliance with global cryptographic and security standards, including NIST, ISO, and regional regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to testing, documentation, and certification processes required for regulatory approval of cryptographic systems.

Security & Compliance Contributions:

• Ensure that cryptographic implementations exceed industry security standards and regulatory requirements.
• Design authentication, data protection, and key management solutions to ensure secure and compliant systems.

Skills & Qualifications:

Educational Background:

• PhD (or Masters + relevant experience) in Cryptography, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related field with a focus on cryptography and security, and/or mathematical analysis.
• Experience with understanding or developing security proofs is desirable.
• Deep knowledge of combinatorics or algorithmic complexity is desirable.
• Knowledge of techniques such as zero-knowledge proofs and oblivious transfer is desirable.
• Deep knowledge of cryptographic concepts, including symmetric and asymmetric encryption, key exchange mechanisms, authentication mechanisms, PKI, and digital signatures.

Technical Skills:

• Strong understanding of cryptographic concepts, algorithms and protocols (e.g., RSA, ECC, AES, SHA, etc.) and their practical applications. Including symmetric and asymmetric techniques, key exchange mechanisms and digital signatures.
• Familiarity with quantum-safe cryptography concepts
• Experience with cryptographic libraries (e.g., OpenSSL, libsodium, or similar) is desirable.
• Programming experience ideally in a language such as python, C C++ or Rust.
• Experience developing mathematical simulations in a language such as python, C, C++ or rust.

Analytical & Research Skills:

• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to evaluate and benchmark cryptographic protocols
• Apply cryptanalysis techniques to identify potential weaknesses.
• Strong research skills, with the ability to independently research and understand new concepts and,, with the ability to apply academic knowledge to real-world cryptographic challenges.
• Experience with formal verification or mathematical proof techniques is preferred.

Collaboration & Communication:

• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, sharing research findings and helping to develop secure cryptographic solutions.
• Strong communication skills, capable of presenting complex cryptographic concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Desirable Experience:

• Experience or familiarity with NIST post-quantum cryptography standardization efforts.
• Experience or interest in working with regulatory bodies or contributing to standards compliance efforts.
• Experience in a commercial setting developing or implementing cryptographic methods.
• Experience with and knowledge of authentication protocols
• Experience or familiarity working in government and defence settings.

Location

Leeds/Hybrid. Eligibility to work in the UK is required

Compensation

We welcome applications from a range of experience levels from junior to more senior. Salary is reflective of experience, example bracket from £27k for junior, to £60k+ and beyond for expert experienced candidates. Comprehensive benefits package included.