Technical Product Manager - SW Security & Firmware
Reports to: VP of Product Management
Department: Product Management
Location: Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Netherlands, UK, Belgium
💼 About the role
PQShield is looking for an Experienced technical Product Manager to expand our Product team. Candidates should hold a master’s degree in software engineering/computer science or equivalent. We hope that you have at least 7 years of experience, but also an open, research-oriented mindset. In this role, you will sit at the critical intersection of software, firmware, and hardware architecture. You will be responsible for defining how our security software interacts seamlessly with underlying hardware IPs, analyzing complex system architectures, and minimizing integration friction for our customers. Additionally, you will leverage your knowledge of hardware-level attack vectors (such as DPA, SCA, and timing attacks) to ensure our software implementations are robust, resilient, and highly competitive in the market.
We have been established since 2018, so you would be directly working with the founders and inventors of this deep tech startup. Our technology is already a couple of years in the making, its feasibility having been established, funding secured, and it has a clear path to market. This is a great opportunity for career progression and to get a head start in a rapidly expanding segment of the semiconductor industry (Post-Quantum Cryptography and RISC-V). Our platform IP components come together as a RISC-V MCU based Sub-system with advanced post-quantum) cryptography algorithm support and security features.
⚒️ What you’ll be doing
- Work with key customers and ecosystem partners to integrate our security solutions into broader system architectures.
- Define, maintain, and execute the strategic product roadmap for software-based security IPs, cryptographic libraries, and firmware portfolios.
- Partner closely with internal architecture teams to analyze complex SoC/system architectures. Define clean interfaces and solutions that ease the integration pain points for external customers adopting our IPs.
- Act as the domain expert for the product’s cryptographic capabilities, balancing classical algorithms with emerging Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards.
- Collaborate with security research and engineering teams to ensure firmware and software products are hardened against advanced hardware-level and logical attack vectors.
- Analyze market trends, customer deployment environments, and competitor landscapes to build a differentiated, industry-leading software security portfolio.
- Work with key customers and ecosystem partners to integrate our security solutions into broader system architectures.
- Author comprehensive Product Requirement Documents (PRDs) and technical specifications that translate complex cryptographic standards into actionable hardware engineering requirements.
- Measure product performance utilizing data from internal and other data sources
- Continuous improvement of our product development processes
🎯 Required Skills And Qualifications
- Track record of successfully launching and managing complex security IP or Embedded products with firmware throughout their lifecycle
- Proven hands-on experience with integration of Embedded firmware in hardware security IP.
- Proven experience in design/architect/implementation of embedded firmware products.
- Knowledge of architectures such as Arm, RISC-V, or x86, TRNG, PUF.
- Solid understanding of physical and logical vulnerabilities on devices running firmware,specifically: Side-Channel Attacks (SCA) and Differential Power Analysis (DPA), Timing attacks and microarchitectural leaks, Fuzz-based leaks and software/firmware exploitation techniques etc.,
- System architect mind set able to envision products with end-to-end security integration.
- Familiarity with industry standard crypto API and driver implementation.
- A background that includes transitioning from a Software designer/system architect/Security Architect into Product Management and welcome.
🌟 Preferred Skills and Qualifications
- Experience in micro kernel-based architecture.
- Experience working directly with security certification labs (e.g., FIPS 140-3 physical/software security levels, Common Criteria).
- Background as a Firmware Security Engineer, Cryptographic Software Engineer, or Embedded Architect transitioning into Product Management.
- Active engagement with or knowledge of NIST PQC standardization processes.
- Experience with hardware security industry standards
- Experience with security certifications
- Knowledge of Industry standard SoC Security Architectures
🏆Some of the perks of working with us:
- Unparalleled opportunities to learn and accelerated 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).
- 50% gym membership discount.
- 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.
