Product Prototyping Expert - Firmware

Location: Remote (within the countries we operate in); Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, France, Germany, UK. Some travel to our offices will be required from time-to-time.

PQShield is looking for an Experienced Product Prototyping Expert - Firmware Integration to expand our product team. Candidates should hold a degree in Computer Engineering/Computer Science or equivalent. We hope that you have at least 5 years of experience, but also an open, research-oriented mindset. We have been established since 2018, and you would be directly working with the founders, the sales and marketing team, the R&D team and the engineering team within the product team. This is a great opportunity for career progression and to get a head start in a rapidly expanding segment of the embedded industry (Post-Quantum Cryptography, embedded).

What you’ll be doing:

• Integrate and test Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and PQ/T hybrid cryptographic primitives on hardware platforms, primarily FPGAs.
• Develop and implement demonstrators around PQShield products, optimizing for performance, cost, and security trade-offs.
• Evaluate and measure performance metrics including latency, resource utilization (area and power consumption), and security against physical attacks.
• Document firmware interfaces, hardware setups, test procedures, and results in comprehensive application notes.
• Collaborate with software and hardware engineers to ensure seamless system integration, and with other teams, e.g. Sales, Marketing, Business Development.
• Contribute to product requirements, features, and roadmaps.

Required Skills And Qualifications:

• Bare metal programming of embedded systems.
• Knowledge of firmware development tools and debugging techniques.
• Hands on debugging skills (multimeter, logic analyzer…).
• Understanding of security principles (secure boot, roll back protection, input validation…).
• Experience with Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) and embedded Linux environments.
• Excellent communication and teamwork abilities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Skills And Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field with 5+ years of experience.
• Programming Experience on CHERI RISC-V devices.
• Track record of successfully prototyping firmware demonstrators.
• Knowledge of timing attacks, fuzzing, tamper resistance and/or power side-channel security countermeasures.
• C, assembly on MCUs (STM32, RH850, RPI2350…).
• Python (to communicate with the board from a host computer).
• Handling of FPGA boards.
• Familiarity with RISC-V architecture and CHERI concepts is highly advantageous.
• Rust/Zig are nice to have.
• Renode is nice to have.
• Development tools like Github, Gitlab, JIRA.

Some of the perks of working with us:

• Unparalleled opportunities to learn and accelerate 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).
• The chance to work with a spirited, smart, and friendly team!

PQShield is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We’re passionate about talent and proud to foster an inclusive environment; all applicants will be considered regardless of their gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and age.