Tessera Defense Systems builds secure identity infrastructure for the US and NATO defense ecosystem. We are hiring a Lead Rust Engineer to own our Rust core as we grow the engineering team.
You will own the Rust codebase end to end: its architecture, its cryptographic core, and the decisions behind them, written down so the rest of the team can build on them. You will set the engineering practices that keep a growing team moving without breaking the cryptography underneath. You will work closely with our fractional CTO and manage a small team of part-time developers.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Own and extend our core Rust codebase, including the cryptographic and networking components at its heart, built to run reliably in denied, disrupted, intermittent, and limited-bandwidth (DDIL) conditions.
- Own the core architecture decisions and document them so the team can build on them.
- Maintain CI/CD, branch protection, and security hygiene (2FA, dependency vetting) consistent with a CMMC baseline.
- Write unit, property-based, and fuzz tests for the cryptographic core, and set the coding standards the team works from.
- Manage and coordinate a small team of part-time developers.
- Support technical demos and partner architecture discussions.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Strong production experience writing Rust systems code.
- Cryptography fundamentals: signing, key management and derivation, elliptic curves.
- Fluency with Git and GitHub, CI/CD, and clean, well-documented, tested code.
- Experience owning a production codebase and coordinating other developers'''' work on it.
- Eligible to obtain a US security clearance (ship is required for clearance eligibility).
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Prior experience working with the Department of Defense or within defense, federal, or other highly regulated environments.
- Experience with secure software development practices and compliance-minded engineering.
- PKI experience: certificates, key management, and secure identity and access workflows.
- C or C++ experience.
- Azure experience.
- Zero-trust architecture.
- Post-quantum cryptography awareness.
WORK ARRANGEMENT AND WHAT WE OFFER
This is a full-time, W-2 employee role, not a contract position. You can work remotely from anywhere in the US.
Salary runs $120,000 to $180,000 per year. The band is wide because we level the offer to your experience, so where you land in it depends on what you bring.
We offer health insurance, paid time off, and equity compensation in the company.
EXPORT CONTROL AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a US government security clearance. No active clearance is required to apply.
This role also involves work subject to US export-control regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Employment is contingent on the ability to access export-controlled technical data consistent with those regulations.
Tessera Defense Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We make hiring decisions based on merit and qualifications. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship or immigration status (except where ship is lawfully required for security-clearance eligibility), age, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Contact us to discuss reasonable accommodations during the hiring process.
This posting describes a role and is not an offer of employment or a contract. Employment with Tessera Defense Systems is at-will.
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