Director of Hardware Engineering

Director of Hardware Engineering 

Reports to: VP of Engineering 

Department: Engineering

Location: UK, Europe 

💼 About the role

PQShield is looking for a Director of Hardware Engineering to lead the development of next-generation hardware products and architectures tailored for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). 

In this leadership role, you will oversee the design, development, and optimisation of hardware solutions that secure and accelerate PQC algorithms, providing scalable and efficient cryptographic IP for semiconductor companies and secure communications.

As part of the Engineering leadership team, you will work closely with cross-functional groups, including cryptographers, software engineers, product managers, and external partners, to bring innovative PQC hardware solutions to market. 

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in hardware design, cryptography, and semiconductor development, with a focus on delivering secure, high-performance, and power-efficient products.

We have been established since 2018, so you would be directly working with the founders and inventors of this deep tech startup. The technology is already a couple of years in the making, its feasibility having been established, funding secured, and it has a clear path to market. This is a great opportunity  for career progression and to get a head start in a rapidly expanding segment of the semiconductor industry (Post-Quantum Cryptography and RISC-V).

⚒️ What you’ll be doing

• Leadership & Strategy:
• Define and execute the hardware engineering strategy, aligning with the company’s overall PQC product roadmap.
• Lead and mentor a team of hardware engineers, ASIC/FPGA designers, and hardware security experts, fostering a culture of innovation and technical excellence.
• Stay informed about trends in post-quantum cryptography and its hardware implementations to ensure competitive positioning and forward-thinking solutions.

• Hardware Development & Architecture:
• Oversee the design and implementation of cryptographic hardware accelerators, processors, and secure IP blocks optimised for PQC algorithms.
• Drive the design and integration of hardware for use cases such as Root of Trust,  secure boot, secure key management, and remote attestation.
• Ensure the hardware architecture supports scalable and energy-efficient designs suitable for IoT, automotive, and data centre applications.

• Project Management:
• Support Project Managers during hardware development projects, ensuring timelines, budget, and quality are met.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams, including cryptographers, software engineers, and external vendors to ensure seamless integration of hardware and cryptography solutions.
• Implement rigorous testing and verification methodologies, including simulations and emulated real-world use case testing of hardware designs.

• Collaboration & Communication:
• Work closely with the software and cryptography teams to ensure hardware-software co-design, ensuring that hardware products fully support the latest PQC algorithms.
• Engage with external stakeholders, including semiconductor foundries, to manage the design and production of PQC hardware IP.
• Communicate technical concepts and development progress to executives, product management, and customers in a clear and actionable way.

• Security & Compliance:
• Ensure all hardware products meet the latest security standards and regulations for post-quantum cryptography.
• Maintain and enforce robust secure hardware design principles, including side-channel attack resistance, secure key storage, and cryptographic algorithm agility.

🎯 Required Skills And QualificationsRequired:

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electronic/Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field with a focus on cryptography or cybersecurity.
• Experience:
• 10+ years of hardware design experience, with 5+ years in a leadership role.
• Strong experience in hardware security, cryptographic hardware implementations (e.g., RSA, ECC, AES), and knowledge of post-quantum cryptography.
• Experience in ASIC/FPGA design and validation, including knowledge of SystemVerilog, Verilog or VHDL.
• Proven experience in bringing secure hardware products from concept to production.
• Technical Skills:
• Hardware Design : Hands-on experience with hardware development tools and EDA software (e.g., Cadence, Synopsys, Mentor Graphics).
• Advanced Cryptography: Understanding of cryptographic algorithms, protocols, and key management systems. Familiarity with PQC standards and protocols (e.g., NIST PQC).
• Security Architecture:  Expertise in designing and implementing secure architectures for hardware, software, and cloud environments.
• Embedded Systems: Knowledge of secure embedded systems and IoT security.
• Hardware Security: Experience with hardware-based security solutions such as HSMs, TPMs, and secure enclaves. Understanding of hardware security features such as secure boot, trusted execution environments (TEEs), and hardware-based key management.
• Secure Implementation: Understanding of the secure implementation of cryptography and systems which use cryptography. Knowledge of Implementation attacks such as Side Channel and Fault injection and implementation countermeasures.

🏆Some of the perks of working with us:

• Unparalleled opportunities to learn and accelerated career development.
• A collaborative, team environment with people who truly love what they do.
• Competitive salary and share option scheme.
• Flexible and hybrid working, and a working from home budget.
• Private health insurance for yourself and your family.
• 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays and two wellness weeks).
• 50% gym membership discount.
• The chance to work with a spirited, smart, and friendly team!