Senior Associate Cryptography Researcher

NPCI; Hyderabad; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical & life insurance

Employee assistance program

Parental leave

Relocation support

Mobile reimbursement

Job summary

NPCI is seeking a Senior Associate Cryptography Researcher to design, implement, and validate cryptographic solutions across our digital payments infrastructure. You will work on encryption, signing, key management, and secure transport, building robust Java SDKs and ensuring PKI/TLS integrity.

The role requires strong cryptography knowledge, Java development experience, and hands-on security engineering skills, including threat modelling and secure coding practices.

Qualifications

• Understand system architecture and data flows, encryption, signing, authentication, and key management needs.
• Design and implement cryptographic solutions: encryption, digital signatures, hashing, key derivation, secure storage, and transport.
• Build and maintain Java SDKs/libraries with clean APIs, versioning, documentation, and backward compatibility.
• Implement and troubleshoot PKI components: X.509, chain validation, CSRs, CRL/OCSP, TLS/mTLS configuration.
• Integrate with HSMs and key management systems (PKCS#11), and design key lifecycle processes.

Responsibilities

• Follow developments in post-quantum cryptography and assess impact on systems.
• Remediate findings from code reviews, static/dynamic analysis, tests, and audits.
• Write unit/integration/negative tests and rely on standard test vectors.
• Support teams integrating the SDK and produce technical documentation and compliance evidence.

Skills

Cryptography expertise

Java development

Threat modelling

Security engineering

Secure coding practices

Education

B.E./B.Tech/MCA or equivalent in CS/IT

Tools

JCA/JCE

Bouncy Castle

Maven/Gradle

Git

JUnit

Job description

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) | Full Time

Senior Associate Cryptography Researcher

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is a pivotal institution in India's digital payments ecosystem, established by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA). It operates under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, and is incorporated as a “Not for Profit” company under Section 25 of the Companies Act 1956 (now Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013). NPCI is dedicated to building world‑class digital payment infrastructure through innovative and efficient retail payment platforms. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, NPCI is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace culture, with zero tolerance for discrimination based on race, ethnicity, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation, including support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Our Culture

TheNPCIWAY –OurGuidingPrinciples

At NPCI, we foster a culture of Inclusion, Innovation, and a High-Performance Workplace .

The NPCIWAY isnotjustaframework - it’sasharedcommitmentbyevery individual to align with our evolving business needs, dynamic market conditions, and workforce expectations.

FiveTenetsoftheNPCIWAY

• ForwardThinkingMind-Set
• CustomerFirst
• LeadWith Purpose
• PassiontoDeliver
• AllSucceedTogether

Employee Perks and Benefits

Insurance&Wellness:

• ComprehensiveCoverage :Medical,accidental,andlifeinsurance.
• Employee Assistance Program : Onsite medical center, financial/legal counselling, mental wellness.
• AnnualWellnessBouquet :Holisticwellbeingsupport

Family &Childcare:

• ParentalLeave :Inclusivematernityandpaternityleave.
• Nanny at home Support: Assistance for Working Parents

Mobility&Lifestyle:

• MobilityBenefits :Relocation,transfers,andtravelsupport.
• HomeLoanInterestSupport :Upto50%reimbursement*
• MobileReimbursement :Newhandsetevery2years.
• CarLease,SalaryAdvance,SubsidizedMeals.
• Reward&RecognitionProgram.
• TechnologyInnovation: PatentsandIPRightspolicy.

RetirementPlanning:

• ProvidentFund(PF) and Gratuity Contributions .

Why Join Us

At NPCI, you’ll be part of a purpose-driven organization shaping the future of digital payments in India and beyond. NPCI offers a unique opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects that directly impact millions. We foster a culture of innovation, inclusion, and high performance, where every individual is empowered to lead with purpose and deliver with passion. With a strong focus on employee wellbeing, continuous learning, and collaborative success, NPCI is more than just a workplace - it’s a platform to grow, contribute, and make a meaningful difference.

• Understand system architecture and data flows, and identify where encryption, signing, authentication, and key management are needed.
• Design and implement cryptographic solutions: encryption, digital signatures, hashing, key derivation, secure key storage, and secure transport.
• Build and maintain Java SDKs and libraries with clean APIs, versioning, documentation, and backward compatibility.
• Implement and troubleshoot PKI components: X.509 certificates, chain validation, CSRs, CRL/OCSP, and TLS/mTLS configuration.
• Integrate with HSMs and key management systems (PKCS#11), and design key lifecycle processes: generation, rotation, backup, and destruction.
• Take part in threat modelling and design reviews, and recommend algorithms, key sizes, and parameters with clear reasoning.
• Remediate findings from code reviews, static and dynamic analysis, penetration tests, and audits.
• Write unit, integration, and negative tests, including known-answer tests with standard test vectors.
• Support teams that integrate the SDK, and produce technical documentation and compliance evidence.
• Follow developments in post-quantum cryptography (ML-KEM, ML-DSA, hybrid key exchange or Newer PQC algorithm) and help assess their impact on our systems.

Required SkillsCryptography (must be able to explain the reasoning, not only the usage)

• Symmetric encryption (AES; GCM, CBC, CTR modes) and the consequences of nonce/IV misuse.
• Hashing, HMAC, key derivation (HKDF, PBKDF2), and secure random generation.
• Authenticated encryption and key management principles.

PKI and protocols

• X.509, certificate lifecycle, trust chain validation.
• TLS 1.2/1.3 and mTLS: handshake, cipher suites, session resumption.
• JWT/JWS/JWE, OAuth2, and signature formats such as CMS/PKCS#7.

Development

• Strong Java (Java 8 or later): collections, concurrency, exception handling, JVM basics.
• Hands-on experience with JCA/JCE and Bouncy Castle. Use of vetted libraries only, no custom algorithms.
• Experience building reusable libraries or SDKs with Maven or Gradle.
• Git, CI/CD, JUnit, and Mockito.

Security engineering

• Secure coding practices (OWASP Top 10): constant-time comparison, safe error handling, no secrets in logs.
• Understanding of threat modelling and trust boundaries.

Education: B.E./B.Tech/MCA or equivalent in Computer Science, IT, Electronics, or a related field.

Good to Have

• HSM experience (PKCS#11) and key management systems.
• Experience in payments, banking, or fintech security (PCI DSS, RBI guidelines, ISO 27001).
• Knowledge of TLS stacks and gateways (OpenSSL, Tomcat, Bouncy Castle JSSE).
• Familiarity with SAST/DAST tools, Kotlin, Spring Boot, or Docker.
• Security certifications or open-source contributions.