Senior Cryptography Architect (Remote US)

Our customer is a large United States insurance company that is backed by more than 100 years of experience and provides insurance products and services for businesses and professionals in the United States., Canada and Europe. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, they have more than 20 US locations.

Our customer is seeking a Senior Cryptography Architect on a contract basis to support their business needs. This role is 100% Remote.

Senior Cryptography Architect

Top three things on resume:

• Consulting or senior analyst background leading programs, not just implementing
• Strong written communication: one-pagers, status reports, and executive decks
• Cryptography or PKI experience, with post-quantum knowledge a plus

Role Overview

• We are seeking a Senior Cryptography Architect (Contract) to support Client Insurance in defining and executing its enterprise Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) strategy. This role will focus on assessing cryptographic risk exposure, establishing a comprehensive asset inventory, and developing a risk-based, phased roadmap toward PQC readiness aligned to emerging NIST PQC standards and financial regulatory expectations.
• The contractor will play a critical role in building Client’s crypto-agility capability and enabling a structured transition from classical cryptography (RSA/ECC) to hybrid and post-quantum models over a multi-year roadmap.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess enterprise cryptographic risk exposure related to quantum threats and strategies define mitigation strategies.
• Develop and maintain a cryptographic inventory framework covering algorithms, key management systems, certificates, protocols, dependencies, and vendor-provided cryptography.
• Work with tools and platforms for cryptographic discovery and risk-analysis solutions.
• Lead the development of PQC transition strategies, including risk-based prioritization, hybrid cryptographic design patterns, and phased migration roadmaps aligned to business critically.
• Define enterprise architecture patterns for hybrid cryptography (classical & PQC) in TLS, PKI, key exchange, and data protection use cases Assist in the creation and maintenance of cryptographic asset inventories (algorithms, keys, certificates, protocols, dependencies).
• Evaluate third-party vendor PQC readiness, cryptographic dependencies, and contractual impacts within Client’s ecosystem.
• Translate complex cryptographic and quantum concepts into clear, business-relevant insights for senior stakeholders.
• Stay current on developments in NIST PQC standards, cryptographic best practices, and regulatory expectations relevant to financial institutions.
• Collaborate with broader security, enterprise architecture, and risk teams within client organizations.

Skills:

Qualification/Required Skills & Experience

• Experience leading or supporting enterprise cryptographic modernization crypto-agility, or encryption transformation initiatives within large enterprises.
• Solid foundational knowledge of cryptography, including symmetric/asymmetric encryption, hashing, key management, PKI, TLS, and certificates.
• Understanding of how cryptography is implemented in enterprise and insurance environments (applications, networks, cloud, data protection).
• Background in cybersecurity, security architecture, or technology risk (consulting or in-house).
• Working knowledge of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) concepts and NIST standardization efforts; practical implementation experience preferred but not required.
• Ability to learn quickly and independently in new and emerging technical domains.
• Strong analytical thinking and structured problem-solving skills.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical topics to non-technical audiences.

Desired / Nice to Have

• Familiarity with cryptographic discovery, certificate management, or crypto-agility tooling.
• Familiarity with financial regulatory guidance impacting cryptographic controls.
• Knowledge of security frameworks or standards (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, MAS, RMiT, PCI DSS).

Expected Deliverables

• Enterprise cryptographic asset inventory framework.
• PQC risk assessment and prioritization model.
• Hybrid cryptography reference architecture patterns.
• Vendor PQ readiness evaluation framework.
• Executive-ready, leadership-consumable migration roadmap documentation.
• High-risk application transition playbooks.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience.
• Typically a minimum of four years experience in security aspects of multiple platforms, operating systems, software communications and network protocols.
• Previous experience with cryptographic solutions and support.
• Applicable certifications preferred.

We offer a competitive salary range for this position. Most candidates who join our team are hired at the median of this range, ensuring fair and equitable compensation based on experience and qualifications.

Contractor benefits are available through our 3rd Party Employer of Record (Available upon completion of waiting period for eligible engagements)

Benefits include: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k.

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.