Applied Cryptography & Cybersecurity Software Engineer – Post Quantum Focus; M.S. or Ph.D

Applied Cryptography & Cybersecurity Software Engineer – Post Quantum Focus (M.S. or Ph.D.)

Join to apply for the Applied Cryptography & Cybersecurity Software Engineer – Post Quantum Focus (M.S. or Ph.D.) role at Exponent

Exponent is the only premium engineering and scientific consulting firm with the depth and breadth of expertise to solve our clients’ most profoundly unique, unprecedented, and urgent challenges.

Our vision is to engage multidisciplinary teams of science, engineering, and regulatory experts to empower clients with solutions that create a safer, healthier, more sustainable world. For over five decades, we’ve connected the lessons of past failures with tomorrow’s solutions to advise clients as they innovate technologically complex products and processes, ensure the safety and health of their users, and address the challenges of sustainability.

Join our team of experts with degrees from top programs at over 500 universities and extensive experience spanning a variety of industries. At Exponent, you’ll contribute to the diverse pool of ideas, talents, backgrounds, and experiences that drives our collaborative teamwork and breakthrough insights. Plus, we help you grow your career through mentoring, sponsorship, and a culture of learning. Thanks for your interest in joining our team!

• 950+ Consultants
• 640+ Ph.D.s
• 90+ Disciplines
• 30+ Offices globally

We are seeking an Applied Cryptography & Cybersecurity Software Engineer – Post‑Quantum Focus to join our Data Sciences Practice in Irvine, CA, Los Angeles, CA, or Menlo Park, CA. This role is ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of cryptography research, cybersecurity architecture, and hands‑on software engineering, and who is passionate about securing real‑world, mission‑critical systems. You will contribute to impactful projects across sectors including defense, utilities, and other critical infrastructure domains, helping to design and implement secure, resilient systems that can withstand today’s and tomorrow’s adversaries.

You will work on cryptographic modernization and post‑quantum transition efforts, architect secure systems and protocols, and help build robust software and data infrastructure that “bakes in” security from the ground up. You’ll collaborate with multidisciplinary teams of engineers, data scientists, and domain experts to solve complex, applied security problems in production environments.

• Designing and architecting secure software systems and services, with strong emphasis on cryptography, key management, and secure protocol design
• Leading post‑quantum cryptography assessments and migration planning, including algorithm selection, hybrid approaches, and performance/latency tradeoff analysis
• Evaluating, integrating, and hardening cryptographic libraries, modules, and products, including FIPS‑validated components where applicable
• Developing and reviewing secure communication protocols, authentication schemes, and data‑at‑rest / data‑in‑transit protection mechanisms
• Performing security architecture reviews for new and existing systems
• Wearing multiple hats across data engineering and software teams to incorporate cryptographic controls and security best practices into data pipelines, APIs, and microservices
• Supporting the development of policies, standards, and technical guidance related to cryptographic modernization (including PQC) and cybersecurity architecture
• Translating complex cryptographic and cybersecurity concepts into clear requirements, design documents, and presentations for both technical and non‑technical stakeholders, including senior government clients
• Ensuring security controls and cryptographic implementations align with federal and industry standards (e.g., NIST PQC, CNSS, DoD directives, FedRAMP) and client‑specific compliance requirements
• Contributing to internal R&D and prototyping efforts in areas such as PQC benchmarking, secure enclaves, zero‑trust architectures, and secure Dev Sec Ops  pipelines

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical/Computer Engineering, Applied…