Principal Cryptography Engineer (Air and Space Force Center)

Principal Cryptography Engineer (Air and Space Force Center)

Why choose between doing meaningful work and having a fulfilling life? At MITRE, you can have both. That's because MITRE people are committed to tackling our nation's toughest challenges—and we're committed to the long-term well-being of our employees. MITRE is different from most technology companies. We are a not-for-profit corporation chartered to work for the public interest, with no commercial conflicts to influence what we do. The R&D centers we operate for the government create lasting impact in fields as diverse as cybersecurity, healthcare, aviation, defense, and enterprise transformation. We're making a difference every day—working for a safer, healthier, and more secure nation and world. Our workplace reflects our values. We offer competitive benefits, exceptional professional development opportunities, and a culture of innovation that embraces diversity, inclusion, flexibility, collaboration, and career growth. If this sounds like the choice you want to make, then choose MITRE—and make a difference with us.

Department Summary:

The N111 Future Space Capabilities Department’s mission is to provide thought leadership and data driven analysis to enable the Department of the Air Force and the USSF to design, develop, acquire, and integrate future warfighting space Mission Area Designs, including space system-of-systems architectures and space programs, in time to outpace accelerating threats. Our focus is to create, integrate, and assess space concepts, technologies, enterprise architectures, and wargaming to fight and win. This responsibility includes aiding the Government community in applying cryptography and architecting secure cryptographic systems, software, and protocols.

Responsibilities of the Principal Cryptography Engineer position include:

• Providing thought leadership in secure system design and applied cryptography both within MITRE and for our sponsors, reflecting recent relevant research and commercial technology.
• Proposing and leading new research into novel approaches to secure system design involving applications of cryptography, bringing your unique knowledge to bear.
• Working with department leadership and subject matter experts to evolve our strategy and technical capabilities in alignment with sponsor needs.
• Provide exemplary leadership, caring mentorship, and generously sharing technical advice with staff related to domain knowledge or capabilities.

Basic Qualifications:

• Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 8 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 5 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Must have active Top Secret clearance for consideration.
• Working knowledge of cryptographic algorithms and important cryptographic protocol standards such as TLS, IKE/IPsec, S/MIME, OAuth, etc.
• Deep technical understanding of one or more areas within cryptography or applied cryptography.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating successfully with teams and building and leveraging relationships that had a positive impact on the work.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and proactive, critical thinking skills and a track record of impactful work – how you have made a difference.
• Excellent written/verbal communications skills.
• This position has an on-site requirement of 5 days a week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Applied Mathematics, or related technical field of study.
• Experience in cryptographic or cryptanalytic research.
• Experience with cryptographic algorithm and/or protocol coding, with particular expertise in quantum resistant algorithms.
• Desire to specify and execute independent research applicable to government sponsor problems.
• A personal desire to help others, including our sponsors, to develop and acquire safe and secure applications.
• Prior successful experience leading teams.

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):

Top Secret

This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s):

Top Secret/SCI

Salary compensation range and midpoint:

$168,500 - $210,500 - $252,500 Annual

Work Location Type:

Onsite

MITRE is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. MITRE recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of age; ancestry; color; family medical or genetic information; gender identity and expression; marital, military, or veteran status; national and ethnic origin; physical or mental disability; political affiliation; pregnancy; race; religion; sex; sexual orientation; and any other protected characteristics.

MITRE intends to maintain a website that is fully accessible to all individuals. If you are unable to search or apply for jobs and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of MITRE’s employment process, please email

Copyright 2024, The MITRE Corporation. All rights reserved. MITRE is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. Material on this site may be copied and distributed with permission only.