Research Scientist - Cryptography

Riverside Research; Lexington (MA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Riverside Research seeks a Research Scientist in Cryptography with an interest in formal methods to develop and evaluate new approaches for software and systems security. The role involves collaborating with experts across cryptography, programming languages, and systems software to advance R&D projects and publish findings.

The candidate will contribute to models, proofs, and verification techniques, and help identify opportunities for future research while communicating results to diverse

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/CE/cybersecurity or related field; 5+ years of research/engineering.
• Experience in cryptography and formal methods, programming languages, or related areas.
• Experience developing or applying mechanized proofs or formal verification techniques.
• Demonstrated knowledge of cryptography and reasoning about cryptographic security.
• Ability to work independently and with researchers from different disciplines.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Conduct formal methods and cryptography research, including models, specifications, proofs, and verification techniques.
• Develop and evaluate research prototypes and tools that apply formal methods to software and systems security problems.
• Collaborate on multidisciplinary research with colleagues in formal methods, cryptography, programming languages, systems software, and related areas.
• Communicate research results through publications, reports, presentations, and briefings to technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Support research planning and proposal development by identifying new opportunities and contributing technical approaches.

Skills

Cryptography research

Formal methods interest

Independent research

Written communication

Collaboration across disciplines

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/CE/cybersecurity or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Lean

Isabelle/HOL

Rocq

EasyCrypt

F*

Job description

Riverside Overview

Riverside Research is an independent National Security Nonprofit dedicated to research and development in the national interest. We provide high-end technical services, research and development, and prototype solutions to some of the country's most challenging technical problems.

All Riverside Research opportunities require U.S. Citizenship

Position Overview

Within Riverside Research, the Open Innovation Center (OIC) conducts internally funded and contract-funded R&D to develop technologies with lasting practical impact. The Secure and Resilient Systems (SRS) group within OIC focuses on rigorous approaches to building trustworthy computing systems.

SRS seeks a Research Scientist - Cryptography with an interest in formal methods to develop, prototype, and evaluate new formal methods techniques for software and systems security. The researcher will contribute to a range of collaborative R&D projects, working with colleagues across formal methods, cryptography, programming languages, and systems software.

Responsibilities

• Conduct formal methods and cryptography research, including developing models, specifications, proofs, and verification techniques.
• Develop and evaluate research prototypes and tools that apply formal methods to software and systems security problems.
• Collaborate on multidisciplinary research with colleagues in formal methods, cryptography, programming languages, systems software, and related areas.
• Communicate research results through publications, reports, presentations, and briefings to technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Support research planning and proposal development by identifying new opportunities and contributing technical approaches.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, cybersecurity, or a related field; 5+ years of relevant research or engineering experience. Advanced degree preferred. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.
• Research experience in cryptography and a strong interest in formal methods, programming languages, or a closely related area.
• Experience developing or applying mechanized proofs or formal verification techniques.
• Demonstrated knowledge of cryptography, including techniques for reasoning about cryptographic security.
• Ability to formulate technical problems, evaluate alternative approaches, and conduct research independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to communicate complex concepts clearly in writing and in presentations, and to collaborate effectively with researchers from different disciplines.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with proof assistants or verification systems such as Rocq, Lean, Isabelle/HOL, EasyCrypt, F*, or similar tools.
• Experience with formal reasoning techniques such as game-hopping, universal composability, logical relations, translation validation, refinement, or separation logic.
• Experience formally verifying cryptographic implementations or protocols, compilers, operating systems, hypervisors, or other security-critical software.
• Familiarity with computer architecture, including topics such as tagged architectures, hardware/software interfaces, or ISA-level reasoning.
• Experience developing new formal methods tools or extending existing verification frameworks.
• A publication record or other demonstrated contributions to research in formal methods, security, cryptography, or programming languages.

Global Comp

$95,000 - 175,000 This represents the typical compensation range for this position based on experience, location and other factors.

Closing Statement

Riverside Research Institute is a not-for-profit, technology-oriented defense company, where service to our customers and support of our staff is our overall mission. Riverside offers comprehensive compensation and benefit packages to our employees.

Riverside bases its employment decisions solely on technical experience, qualifications and other job-related criteria related to our organizational purpose as a not-for-profit company, and without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, veteran's status or any other status legally protected by applicable federal, state, and local law.