Cryptographic Services Architect

WeAreTechWomen; Reading; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Buying or selling annual leave

Cycle to work schemes

Employee discounts

Paid volunteering day

Stocks and shares

Annual bonus

Job summary

Thales, a global technology leader, is seeking a Cryptographic Services Architect in Reading/Doncaster to lead architecture and delivery of cryptographic solutions across PKI, HSMs, and PQC initiatives.

The role spans bid support, design, implementation, and service transition, with collaboration across project teams and customers in highly regulated environments.

Qualifications

• Proven experience designing and delivering enterprise PKI and cryptographic solutions.
• Strong understanding of certificate authorities and certificate lifecycle management.
• Experience with root of trust architectures and digital certificates/signatures.
• Hands-on with PKI platforms: Keyfactor, EJBCA, ADCS, Azure Certificate Services, Evertrust.

Responsibilities

• Lead cryptographic architecture for bids, proposals and project delivery.
• Define secure, scalable, and compliant PKI solutions aligned with customer requirements.
• Produce architectural documentation (HLDs, designs, requirements, testing artefacts).
• Present technical solutions to customers and senior stakeholders.
• Support transition from bid to delivery ensuring architectural integrity.

Skills

Enterprise PKI design

PKI platforms

Public Key Infrastructure

CA & certificate lifecycle

Root of trust architectures

Digital certificates & signatures

Bid & delivery leadership

Documentation & stakeholder comms

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/cybersecurity/computer science

CISSP / CISM or equivalent

Job description

Location: Reading, United Kingdom

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.

Location: Doncaster/Reading (other Thales sites could be considered)

We are looking for an experienced Cryptographic Services Architect to join our Secure Communications & Information Systems business. This is a unique opportunity to lead the architecture, design, and delivery of cutting-edge cryptographic solutions across a portfolio of secure and mission-critical projects.

Working within our established Cryptographic Services Practice, you will play a pivotal role in shaping secure solutions that support customers operating in highly regulated and security-sensitive environments. From bid and proposal stages through to design, implementation, and service transition, you will provide technical leadership and expertise across Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), Key Management Services, Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), and emerging post-quantum cryptography initiatives.

This role offers the perfect blend of architecture, engineering, customer engagement, and strategic leadership.

What You'll Be Doing

Architecture & Technical Leadership

• Lead the cryptographic architecture for bids, proposals, and project delivery.
• Define secure, scalable, and compliant solutions aligned with customer requirements and industry best practice.
• Produce high-quality architectural documentation including High-Level Designs (HLDs), solution designs, requirements specifications, and testing artefacts.
• Present technical solutions confidently to customers, senior stakeholders, and technical review boards.
• Support the transition from bid to delivery, ensuring architectural integrity throughout the project lifecycle.

Cryptographic Solution Design

• Design and integrate enterprise cryptographic services including:
  • Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
  • Certificate Lifecycle Management
  • Key Management Systems
  • Hardware Security Modules (HSMs)
  • Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) migration strategies

• Advise customers on cryptographic agility, future security requirements, and quantum-readiness.
• Lead integration, deployment, testing, and acceptance activities across customer environments.
• Drive continuous improvement across architecture practices, standards, and tooling.

Stakeholder & Project Collaboration

• Work closely with bid teams, project managers, engineers, security specialists, and customer stakeholders.
• Identify technical risks and develop effective mitigation strategies.
• Support knowledge transfer into operational support teams.
• Mentor engineers and promote knowledge sharing across the cryptographic services community.

What We're Looking For

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience designing and delivering enterprise PKI and cryptographic solutions.
• Strong understanding of:
  • Certificate Authorities (CA)
  • Certificate lifecycle management
  • Root of trust architectures
  • Digital certificates and digital signatures
  • Hands-on experience with enterprise PKI platforms such as:
    • Keyfactor
    • EJBCA
    • Active Directory Certificate Services (ADCS)
    • Azure Certificate Services
    • Evertrust
• Experience leading technical solutions across bids, proposals, and complex programmes.
• Strong technical documentation and stakeholder communication skills.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business-focused recommendations.
• Experience working across the full project lifecycle from bid through delivery and into service.

Desirable Experience

• Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) planning and migration.
• Cryptographic standards and frameworks including NCSC, NIST, ETSI, ISO and IEC standards.
• Scripting and automation using PowerShell, Python, or Bash.
• Identity & Access Management (IAM) integration.
• Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) or Operational Technology (OT) environments.
• Application and cloud security technologies.

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified in Engineering, Cyber Security, Computer Science, or related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience in PKI administration, cryptographic systems design, or cryptographic services delivery.
• Relevant security certifications such as CISSP, CISM, or equivalent are highly desirable.

Why Join Us?

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the forefront of secure communications, helping customers solve some of their most complex security challenges. You'll have the chance to influence strategic solutions, work with emerging technologies, and play a key role in advancing cryptographic capabilities in an increasingly security-conscious and post-quantum world.

If you're passionate about security architecture, cryptographic services, and delivering innovative solutions that matter, we'd love to hear from you.

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At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all.

The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role.

• private medical insurance
• buying or selling annual leave
• cycle to work schemes
• employee discounts
• paid volunteering day
• stocks and shares
• annual bonus

Read more about our benefits here.

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are and the unique strengths they bring. Discover more about our programmes, employee networks, wellbeing policies, and inclusive features here.

Join Thales in the UK – Innovate with us and shape the future!