Chief Cryptographer

Lawrence Harvey

$150K — $200K *
Information Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Deep expertise in cryptography, especially in threshold cryptography, identity-based encryption, MLS, MPC, ZK, or related fields.
  • Strong applied mindset for translating research into real-world products or systems.
  • Track record of contributions to cryptographic protocols, publications, RFCs, or open-source projects.
  • Strong preference for candidates with Rust programming experience.
  • Experience in leading technical direction and mentoring researchers.
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills with engineering and product teams.
  • Ability to balance long-term research goals with immediate product needs.

Responsibilities

  • Oversee applied research and product-facing cryptographic implementations as a strategic leader.
  • Translate cutting-edge research into production-ready systems and libraries.
  • Shape the long-term research roadmap for the company's cryptographic initiatives.
  • Contribute to protocols, RFCs, and the open-source cryptographic community.
  • Mentor researchers and impact architecture decisions throughout the organization.
  • Balance the long-term vision of research with practical execution in product development.

Benefits

  • Medical insurance
  • Dental insurance
  • Vision insurance
Full Job Description
Chief Cryptographer

The Role

The Chief Cryptographer will operate as a strategic technical leader overseeing both applied research and product-facing cryptographic implementations. You will work directly alongside the founding team, engineering leadership, and research advisors - sitting at the intersection of cryptography research, infrastructure, and product architecture.

You will help define the future direction of the company's encrypted communication platform and broader enterprise offerings. The research philosophy here is grounded in real-world adoption and practical impact, not purely academic publication cycles.

What you'll work on
  • Threshold cryptography, identity-based encryption, MLS, MPC, ZK, and adjacent fields
  • Translating research into production-ready systems, libraries, and product implementations
  • Shaping the long-term cryptography research roadmap alongside the founding team
  • Contributing to protocols, RFCs, and open-source cryptographic ecosystems
  • Mentoring researchers and influencing architecture decisions across the organization
  • Balancing long-term research vision with practical product execution

What we're looking for
  • Deep expertise in cryptography - particularly threshold cryptography, identity-based encryption, MLS, MPC, ZK, or adjacent fields
  • A strong applied mindset with the ability to map research into real-world products or production libraries
  • A track record of meaningful contributions to cryptographic protocols, publications, RFCs, or open-source ecosystems
  • Rust expertise strongly preferred
  • Experience leading technical direction, mentoring researchers, or influencing architecture decisions
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills with engineering and product teams
  • The ability to balance long-term research vision with near-term product execution

Benefits
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision insurance

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