Senior Security Engineer Cryptography

Trail of Bits

1d • $165,000 - $220,000 • Remote

About The Position

We're hiring a Senior Security Engineer for the Cryptography team to review and strengthen high-assurance software and cryptographic systems used across technology, finance, defense, and blockchain. You will evaluate whether cryptographic designs and implementations deliver the security properties they claim, find subtle failures where theory meets code, and help clients make sound decisions about risk and remediation.
On a typical engagement, you might review a new protocol, analyze an implementation of a standard primitive, test assumptions in a post-quantum construction, or build tooling that makes future assessments faster and more rigorous. The work spans code review, cryptanalysis, threat modeling, technical writing, and direct collaboration with client engineers.
This is a senior individual-contributor role. You will independently lead substantial parts of engagements, exercise judgment when the problem is ambiguous, communicate clearly with clients and peers, and help raise the technical bar for the cryptography team. You will also have room to contribute to open-source tools, public research, and new service offerings.

Requirements

• Applied cryptography depth. Substantial experience evaluating cryptographic primitives, protocols, and implementations, with the judgment to distinguish theoretical concerns from practical security failures.
• Mathematical fluency. A foundation strong enough to read relevant academic papers, reason about security assumptions, and translate research into implementation-level questions.
• Code review and development skill. Proficiency in at least one systems or security-oriented language such as Rust, Go, C, or C++, plus experience using Git-based development workflows.
• Assessment judgment. The ability to form and test hypotheses, recognize where specifications and implementations diverge, document evidence, and prioritize findings by real-world impact.
• Senior-level ownership. A record of independently driving complex technical work, managing ambiguity, making defensible decisions, and helping teammates improve their approach.
• Client communication. Clear writing and confident technical communication with engineers, researchers, and other stakeholders who will question assumptions and expect precise answers.
• Collaborative curiosity. A willingness to learn unfamiliar systems, share incomplete ideas early, and work closely with colleagues, clients, and the broader technical community.

Nice To Haves

• Experience assessing post-quantum, zero-knowledge, threshold, multiparty-computation, or privacy-preserving systems.
• Published cryptography or security research, open-source contributions, public audit reports, conference talks, or technical writing.
• Experience designing cryptographic APIs, reviewing protocol specifications, or moving research implementations toward production use.
• Experience scoping security engagements, mentoring engineers, or developing repeatable assessment methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead cryptographic assessments. Review protocols, libraries, and application code; identify design and implementation weaknesses; validate exploitability; and recommend practical fixes.
• Analyze advanced constructions. Work across standardized symmetric and asymmetric cryptography, post-quantum schemes, zero-knowledge proof systems, and multi-party computation protocols, learning unfamiliar designs when an engagement demands it.
• Build useful tooling. Create or extend tools, test harnesses, and proofs of concept that improve cryptanalysis, implementation review, and repeatability across engagements.
• Own clear client delivery. Plan your work, surface risk early, lead technical discussions, and produce precise reports that explain both the finding and the engineering path forward.
• Shape the practice. Contribute to scoping and methodology, mentor other engineers, identify promising research or tooling opportunities, and help turn repeated client needs into stronger services.
• Share what you learn. Contribute to open-source projects and, when appropriate, publish technical work or present it to the security and cryptography communities.

Benefits

• Competitive salary complemented by performance-based bonuses.
• Fully company-paid insurance packages, including health, dental, vision, disability, and life.
• A solid 401(k) plan with a 5% match of your base salary.
• 20 days of paid vacation with flexibility for more, adhering to jurisdictional regulations.
• 4 months of parental leave to cherish the arrival of new family members.
• $1,000 Working-from-Home stipend to create a comfortable and productive home office.
• Annual $750 Learning & Development stipend for continuous personal and professional growth.
• Company-sponsored all-team celebrations, including travel and accommodation, to foster community and recognize achievements.
• Philanthropic contribution matching up to $2,000 annually.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed