Senior C/C++/Rust Engineer — Technical Lead

QuantumViva; Leinster; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company share equity scheme

Job summary

QuantumViva is building QVU — a quantum-safe secure vault and communications platform for Windows. You will lead the build of the QVU native security platform, owning Layer 1 architecture and implementation, SQLCipher-backed storage, cryptographic engineering, and the standards that tie the four-layer model together.

You will manage and mentor the Collaborative Senior C/C++/Rust Engineer and grow the team, with the path to broader technical architecture ownership.

Qualifications

• Senior C, C++, and Rust systems development in security-sensitive software.
• Practical SQLCipher or encrypted-database experience.
• Strong cryptographic engineering knowledge and memory handling.
• Experience managing engineers and leading a small team.
• Ability to implement from detailed specs and keep docs in sync.
• Familiarity with NIST/FIPS and audit-ready documentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of the QVCore native engine in C/C++.
• Own Layer 0 SQLCipher integration, migrations, and encryption.
• Define interface contracts between Layer 1 and Layer 2.
• Set standards for documentation, code reviews, logging, telemetry, audits.
• Mentor engineers and work from SRS, threat models, and protocol docs.

Skills

C/C++

Rust

Security engineering

Team leadership

Tools

SQLCipher

Job description

QuantumViva is building QVU — a quantum-safe secure vault and communications platform for Windows — with QVB and QVE following in the same programme. Engineering is organised around a rigorous four-layer architecture: Layer 0 storage, Layer 1 QVCore native engine, Layer 2 platform adapters & IPC/API boundary, and Layer 3 UI shells. We work from a substantial SRS, architecture baseline, protocol set, and engineering resource register. Deep technical ownership, specification-driven delivery, and clear documentation are non-negotiable.

This is an opportunity to be an early member of a team that will be disrupting the encryption and privacy space ahead of the effects of Quantum Computing becoming an everyday reality.

About the Role

You will lead the build of the QVU native security platform and become the senior technical owner of the overall codebase. This is the key engineering leadership role for the first phase of delivery — responsible for Layer 1 architecture and implementation, SQLCipher-backed storage integration, cryptographic engineering, and the technical standards that hold the wider four-layer model together.

You will manage the Collaborative Senior C/C++/Rust Engineer day-to-day and mentor engineers across the team as it grows. The path leads into overall technical architecture ownership.

What You'll Do

• Lead development of the QVCore native engine in C and C++, covering cryptographic operations, key management, protocol state, policy enforcement, and security-critical runtime behaviour.
• Own Layer 0 SQLCipher engineering as primary owner: schema design, encrypted storage integration, migrations, performance under full-database encryption, and backup/restore behaviour.
• Define the contract for system calls, messages, memory ownership, error handling, and validation between Layer 1 and the Layer 2 Rust IPC/FFI layer.
• Set technical standards for documentation, code review, logging, telemetry, auditability, and engineering evidence suitable for later regulatory and compliance work.
• Manage and mentor the wider engineering team; work directly from the SRS, threat models, architecture notes, and protocol documents.

What You Bring

• Senior C, C++, and Rust systems-development experience in production security-sensitive software.
• Practical SQLCipher or equivalent encrypted-database experience as a core, demonstrated skill.
• Strong understanding of cryptographic engineering, key lifecycle, secure coding, and memory handling in native systems.
• Experience managing engineers or leading a small technical team, with the ability to grow into an overall technical architect role.
• Experience implementing from detailed written specifications and keeping code, tests, and technical documentation in sync.
• Practical familiarity with NIST, FIPS-oriented engineering, and audit-ready technical documentation.

Evidence We Expect

• At least one example of a native C/C++ or Rust engine, backend platform, or security-sensitive service you built or led from written design or specification.
• A concrete example of how you documented architecture decisions, interfaces, and tests for other engineers or for compliance-oriented review.
• Evidence that you have led or materially shaped technical direction across more than one subsystem or engineer.

Location & Compensation

Dublin-based. Some work-from-home flexibility. Full-time, permanent. Competitive base salary depending on experience, plus access to the company share equity scheme after a qualifying period.