Research Officer, Applied Cryptography

Location: Southwestern Ontario

Research Officer, Applied Cryptography

National Research Council Canada (CONTRÔLE NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE CANADA) invites applications for a Research Officer in Applied Cryptography to join our Cryptography and Quantum Computing team within the Digital Technologies Research Centre (NRC‑DT).

Location & Work Arrangements

Positions are located in Waterloo, Montreal, Ottawa or Fredericton. Preferred linguistic profiles:
English for Waterloo;
Bilingual (BBB/BBB) for the other locations. Eligible for a hybrid arrangement – required to work onsite at least three times per week or 60 % of the schedule.

Role & Responsibilities

• Conduct cutting‑edge research in applied post‑quantum cryptography, collaborating with fellow researchers.
• Lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of quantum‑safe cryptographic algorithms and protocols.
• Establish and manage a post‑quantum cryptography lab, fostering collaboration with industry, academia, and government partners.
• Write, review, and lead project proposals to drive impactful research initiatives.

About the Digital Technologies Research Centre

Our centre advances digital technologies by leveraging advanced analytics, computer vision, natural language processing, and AI to solve real‑world problems for Canadians and Canadian businesses.

Screening Criteria Education

PhD in computer science, mathematics, engineering, or related field with a specialization in cryptography, security, or privacy.

Experience

• Development, implementation, and cryptanalysis of post‑quantum cryptography algorithms and protocols (e.g., CRYSTALS‑Kyber, CRYSTALS‑Dilithium, SPHINCS+, Falcon), including cryptographic agility.
• Participation in multidisciplinary R&D teams.
• Programming expertise in C/C++/Python.
• Publication record in top conferences or journals such as ACM, Asiacrypt, Crypto, Eurocrypt, IEEE, PKI, PQC, RWPQC, USENIX.
• Experience with open‑source libraries (liboqs, Open Quantum Safe, OpenSSL) and standard bodies (NIST, ISO, IETF).

Condition of Employment

Reliability status: background verification over five years required.

Language Requirements

• Waterloo:
  English.
• Montreal, Ottawa, Fredericton:
  Bilingual (BBB/BBB).

Assessment Criteria Technical Competencies

• Knowledge of modern cryptographic algorithms, protocols, and applications.
• Ability to develop, analyze, and implement cryptographic solutions.
• Strong research writing and proposal development skills.

Behavioural Competencies

• Research Communication (Level 2)
• Research Creative Thinking (Level 2)
• Research Initiative (Level 1)
• Research Results Orientation (Level 1)
• Research Teamwork (Level 1)

Compensation & Benefits

Salary range: $83,985 – $139,608 (RO/RCO salary scale). Bilingualism bonus of $800 per year for BBB/BBB candidates. Employees enjoy a robust pension plan, comprehensive health and dental coverage, disability and life insurance, office closure at year‑end, and additional wellbeing supports.

Notes & Application Information

• Relocation assistance per NRC directives.
• Applicants must answer screening questions during the application process.
• Pre‑qualified list may be established for similar positions for up to one year.
• Preference to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
• Safe workplace practices required.

Contact & Closing Date

For queries, contact the NRC Hiring team Hiring-Emba or call 343‑548‑2032. Closing date: 18 January 2026 – 23:59 Eastern Time.

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