Senior Cryptography Engineer

Department environment 

The Key Management team at Copper is tasked with developing the core components of Copper’s custodial solution. This entails the constructions of tools and services essential for secure storage and transfer of digital assets. A focal point of the team’s responsibilities includes developing and integrating MPC (Multiparty Computation)-based cryptographic signature algorithms. Additionally, the team is charged with the development of APIs that facilitate the interaction of cryptographic primitives with both client-facing applications and certain internal services within Copper

Key Responsibilities of the role

• You will conduct cryptography literature review, select relevant papers, and produce a specification and pseudocode from the paper(s). If situation demands it, you will produce original peer-reviewed research in close collaboration with academia.
• You will implement cryptography specifications into secure, production-level code.
• You will integrate cryptography primitives into Copper’s internal MPC framework.
• You will participate in the design and implementation of Copper’s next generation MPC framework.
• You will interact with auditors and academia, as well as cryptographers on the client side.
• You will provide cryptography support for other Copper development teams.

Your experience, skills and knowledge

This role is right for you if:

• You have a strong foundation in modern/provable cryptography.
• You consider yourself an applied cryptographer who doesn’t shy away from implementing your constructions.
• You learn new things quickly and can context switch.
• You are interested in a unique intersection between academia and industry wherein you will be working with both theory and real-world implementations and shifting between the two regularly as needed.

Essential

• Research experience in modern cryptography -preferably in MPC, Threshold Cryptography, [Zero-Knowledge] proof systems etc- and its tools e.g. Proving your constructions secure in UC paradigm.
• Engineering experience in implementation of modern cryptography primitives.
• Fluency in a systems language like C, C++, Rust, or Go.
• Familiarity with algorithms and aptitude in [cryptographic] system design.

Desirable

• PhD in Cryptography with research track record.
• Strong understanding of cryptography signatures and their threshold variants.
• Fluency in Go programming language.
• Familiarty/Experience with methodologies and testing frameworks for high assurance programming e.g. From fuzzing to formal modelling.
• Familiarity/Experience with distributed systems.
• Prior experience with HSMs/TEEs including managed solutions like AWS Nitro Enclaves.
• Prior knowledge/experience with MPC or crypto custody.

Tech Stack

For this position, you will predominantly work with Go for implementations and LaTeX for formal documentations – select projects use some C++ and Rust.

You will also need to interact with some interservice communication tools as well as some infrastructure tools.

The full company tech-stack includes:

• Software development languages: Go, Scala, JavaScript/Typescript (Node.js), C++, Rust
• Storage: PostgreSQL, Mongo DB, Clickhouse
• Frontend Frameworks: React.js, Electron.js
• Interservice communication: RabbitMQ, gRPC, Protocol Buffers
• Architecture: Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)
• Infrastructure: AWS, Terraform, Ansible, Docker, Mesos/Marathon container orchestration,
• Consul, Nginx, GoCD by ThoughtWorks CI/CD, Prometheus, Kibana, Grafana

The benefits offered

• Holidays: 27 days per annum paid holiday, in addition to bank holidays
• Years of Service Days: Employees are awarded one additional day of paid time off per year of service (up to three years)
• Vitality Health:
  • Medical Insurance: Copper provides all employees with individual cover. Medical history is disregarded, and a 24/7 virtual GP is available (£100 excess per person per year)
  • Dental Insurance: Comprehensive dental cover for preventative, restorative and emergency treatment
  • Audiology Cover: Employees can claim back up 80% of costs, up to £300, for any hearing tests or hearing aids
  • Optical Cover: £500 optical cover (through Vision Express) or 80% reimbursement up to £300 for any other optician
  • Menopause Support: Unlimited support for those experiencing symptoms of the menopause, such as video consultations with a dedicated menopause practitioner
  • Vitality services also include an additional £100 for minor diagnostic tests and private prescriptions, including home diagnostics
  • Headspace - Copper's policy provides all employees with a free Headspace subscription. Headspace provides great resources to manage stress, improve sleep, meditate and enhance mindfulness
  • Discounts and free benefits - the Vitality programme has been designed for preventative care to encourage members to improve their overall health and will reward those for doing so. Employees can access additional benefits such as 50% off running shoes, discounted health screenings, 50% off at Nuffield Health or Virgin Active gyms and much more
• Home Working Energy Support Scheme: to combat energy prices increasing globally, Copper will provide you, in addition to your salary, with a monthly top-up of £60 or £75 (subject to your energy supplier)
• Pension up to 10% matched contribution to our company pension scheme via Smart Pensions
• Cycle to Work
• Life Insurance cover: Four times your base salary
• EAP: access unlimited mental health consultations and contact a 24/7 confidential helpline for emotional support
• Unmind
• Sponsored Learning and Development opportunities
• Regular company events and social activities

In return for everything you can bring to Copper, we can offer you an exciting, challenging role in a fast-growing and dynamic business, with career opportunities and welcoming working environment.

If you think you have everything we're looking for and more, then we'd love you to apply for the opportunity.