Cryptographic Engineer

Summary

Join IOG, a blockchain research and development company, as a Cryptography Engineer. Contribute to the design, implementation, and integration of secure cryptographic protocols across Cardano-related initiatives. Translate cutting-edge cryptographic designs into robust, production-grade systems. Collaborate with researchers, protocol designers, software architects, product managers, and QA teams. Work independently and in collaboration with distributed teams. Develop and maintain cryptographic libraries primarily in Rust and Haskell. Analyze and validate protocol security, ensuring soundness, liveness, and resistance to practical adversaries.

Requirements

• Degree in Computer Science, Cryptography, Mathematics, or a closely related field
• Practical experience in applied cryptographic engineering through industry work, academic research, or open-source contributions
• Strong proficiency in Rust for systems-level cryptographic development; familiarity with C is a plus
• Experience designing or implementing protocols involving digital signatures, multi-signatures, commitments, or zero-knowledge proofs
• Familiarity with blockchain cryptography, consensus mechanisms, or secure distributed systems
• Proficient in using version control systems, especially Git, in collaborative development environments
• Solid mathematical foundation in cryptography, including finite fields, group theory, and probability
• Strong expertise in elliptic curve cryptography, with a focus on digital signatures, multi-signature schemes, and cryptographic commitments
• Familiarity with zero-knowledge proof systems and their integration in blockchain protocols
• Proven experience implementing cryptographic primitives and protocols in Rust (required); familiarity with C is beneficial, and exposure to Haskell is a strong advantage
• Deep understanding of cryptographic protocol design, including security properties such as soundness, liveness, and adversarial modeling
• Strong security sensibility in low-level cryptographic implementation, with awareness of side-channel and misuse risks
• Ability to read, interpret, and implement cryptographic research papers and formal specifications
• Clear and structured communication skills to support effective collaboration across cryptography, engineering, and research teams
• Ability to work independently and proactively, with minimal supervision
• Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills
• Effective communication skills for cross-functional collaboration

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design, implementation, and integration of secure cryptographic protocols across Cardano-related initiatives, including Cardano Core Cryptographic Primitives, Mithril, ALBA, Leios, and etc
• This role bridges applied research and engineering, focusing on translating cutting-edge cryptographic designs into robust, production-grade systems
• Collaborate closely with researchers, protocol designers, software architects, product managers, and QA teams to ensure cryptographic correctness, performance, and system alignment
• Work both independently and in collaboration with distributed teams across multiple time zones, showing initiative and ownership over tasks
• Design and implement cryptographic constructions, including digital signatures, zero-knowledge proofs, accumulators, commitment schemes
• Work independently on software development tasks, demonstrating proactive problem-solving skills
• Develop and maintain cryptographic libraries (primarily in Rust and Haskell, occasionally in C) with an emphasis on safety, performance, clarity, and auditability
• Translate advanced cryptographic concepts from academic research into well-structured, reliable implementations that will be used in production systems
• Contribute to cryptographic design discussions, parameter tuning, and performance benchmarking, particularly for elliptic curve and zk-based constructions
• Analyze and validate protocol security, ensuring soundness, liveness, and resistance to practical adversaries
• Collaborate with researchers, software architects, and formal methods specialists to align implementation with protocol specifications
• Write and maintain clear documentation, including developer guides and internal design notes
• Troubleshoot, debug, and optimize cryptographic code and its interactions with broader systems
• Keep up to date with recent cryptographic advancements and assess their relevance to the project

Preferred Qualifications

Exposure to Haskell is a strong advantage, particularly in cryptographic or blockchain-related contexts

Benefits

• Remote work
• Laptop reimbursement
• New starter package to buy hardware essentials (headphones, monitor, etc)
• Learning & Development opportunities
• Competitive PTO