Senior Cryptography Engineer (Blockchain Focus)

Placements24; Randburg; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Equity options

Health insurance

Professional development budget

State-of-the-art facilities

Job summary

Placements24 in Randburg, Gauteng is seeking a Senior Cryptography Engineer with a strong focus on blockchain applications to design, implement, and analyze cryptographic protocols critical to the security and functionality of our blockchain solutions.

You will mentor junior engineers, collaborate with blockchain developers to integrate cryptographic solutions into smart contracts, and contribute to research and publication of advances in privacy-preserving techniques and secure consensus.

Qualifications

• PhD or MSc in CS/Math with cryptography specialization.
• 5+ years applying cryptography to blockchain or distributed systems.
• Theoretical and practical knowledge of modern cryptography and key management.

Responsibilities

• Research, design, and implement cryptographic algorithms for blockchain.
• Develop and analyze cryptographic primitives including ZKPs, MPC, and homomorphic encryption.
• Ensure security and robustness of cryptographic implementations in blockchain systems.
• Collaborate with blockchain developers to integrate cryptography into smart contracts.
• Conduct security reviews and threat modeling of cryptographic components.
• Stay updated on cryptography advancements and publish findings.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership in cryptography.
• Evaluate cryptographic libraries and tools.

Skills

Cryptography

Blockchain

ZKPs

MPC

OpenSSL

Education

PhD or MSc in CS/Math (Cryptography)

Tools

OpenSSL

Rust

Python

Job description

About the Role Our client is seeking a highly specialized Senior Cryptography Engineer with a strong focus on blockchain applications to join their elite research and development team in Randburg, Gauteng . This role involves designing, implementing, and analyzing cryptographic protocols and algorithms critical to the security and functionality of our blockchain solutions. You will be instrumental in developing novel cryptographic techniques for privacy-preserving transactions, secure consensus mechanisms, and advanced encryption methods. The ideal candidate possesses a deep theoretical understanding of cryptography and practical experience applying it in a blockchain context.

Key Responsibilities

• Research, design, and implement cryptographic algorithms and protocols for blockchain applications.
• Develop and analyze cryptographic primitives, including zero-knowledge proofs, homomorphic encryption, and secure multi-party computation.
• Ensure the security and robustness of cryptographic implementations within blockchain systems.
• Collaborate with blockchain developers to integrate cryptographic solutions into smart contracts and protocols.
• Conduct security reviews and threat modeling of cryptographic components.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in cryptography and their application to blockchain technology.
• Publish research findings and contribute to the academic and professional community.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership in cryptography.
• Evaluate and select appropriate cryptographic libraries and tools.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related field with a specialization in Cryptography.
• 5+ years of experience in applied cryptography, with a significant portion focused on blockchain or distributed systems.
• Deep theoretical knowledge of modern cryptography, including symmetric and asymmetric encryption, hashing, digital signatures, and key management.
• Proven experience with advanced cryptographic techniques like zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), MPC, and homomorphic encryption.
• Strong programming skills in languages like C++, Rust, or Python, with experience in cryptographic libraries.
• Understanding of blockchain technology, consensus mechanisms, and smart contract security.
• Experience with formal verification of cryptographic protocols is a plus.
• Excellent analytical, research, and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong publication record in reputable conferences or journals is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Benefits

• Extremely competitive salary, bonus structure, and equity options.
• Opportunity to work on highly advanced and impactful cryptographic research.
• Access to state-of-the- art research facilities and tools.
• A stimulating environment with world-class researchers and engineers.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous professional development budget.
• Significant contributions to cutting-edge blockchain security.