Technical Lead - Secure Communications

Own the design, development, and delivery of core VPN and secure connectivity modules in QConnect—IPsec and TLS data and control planes and crypto-layer integration. Lead a team of 4-5 engineers, work closely with the architect and peer tech leads, and deliver features end-to-end: design documents, code, tests, release notes, production support, and security-certification readiness. This is a hands-on role; you code, review, debug, and make module-level architecture calls.

Responsibilities:

• Design and develop IPsec and TLS VPN data and control planes, including integration with the crypto layer.
• Make module-level architecture calls aligned with the architect's technical direction.
• Own features end-to-end, design documents, code, tests, release notes, production support, and readiness for security certifications (FIPS, Common Criteria).
• Drive quality gates toward fewer than 5 major defects and zero critical/blocker defects at release.
• Lead 4-5 engineers, sprint ownership, code reviews, mentoring, and unblocking.
• Collaborate closely with the architect, peer tech leads, QA, and L3 support.
• Apply and teach high-productivity use of AI coding tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot) across the team's workflow.
• Lead customer-facing debugging and root-cause analysis for production issues.

Key Stakeholders and Collaboration:

• Internal: the architect, VP of engineering, peer tech leads, QA, L3 support, and product management (CPO organization).
• External: defense and enterprise customers during escalations and certification activities.

Requirements:

• 8-12 years in software engineering, with 5+ years in VPN or secure connectivity product development.
• Hands-on VPN protocol development: you have built or contributed to a commercial VPN codebase (strongSwan, OpenVPN, WireGuard, or proprietary). Protocol-level code, not configuration or operations.
• Proven high-productivity use of AI coding tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot); can demonstrate measurable output gains and teach the team to adopt the same workflow.
• Deep IPsec knowledge: IKEv2, ESP, AES-GCM, PFS, DPD, X. 509 authentication, and tunnel lifecycle.
• Applied crypto experience; classical (RSA, AES-256, TLS 1.3) or post-quantum (ML-KEM, ML-DSA) implementation and integration.
• Security certification experience; FIPS 140-2 or 140-3, Common Criteria, or equivalent (preparing, testing, or shipping certified features).
• Strong C/C++ and Rust (data plane) and Python or Go (control plane).
• Linux networking internals; netfilter/nftables, XFRM, routing, namespaces, and packet flow.
• Appliance development experience; build, debug, upgrade, and factory workflows.
• NMS/EMS integration: SNMP v2/v3, NETCONF, RESTCONF, or gRPC telemetry.
• Team leadership experience: led 4+ engineers with sprint and code-review ownership (scaled and scoped the map to Tech Lead).

Nice to have:

• SD-WAN (link monitoring, path selection, policy routing) or SASE exposure.
• Deeper post-quantum crypto work; hybrid key exchange, crypto-agility frameworks.
• RHEL-based product development; ICSA Labs or defense-grade certification experience.

Who this is not for:

• VPN administration/operations or cloud VPN configuration roles.
• Generalist full-stack backgrounds without protocol-level development.
• Management-only leads who no longer code; this is a hands-on role.

Capabilities and Ways of Working:

• Ownership: you take a module from design to production and stand behind it.
• Hands-on technical depth: You keep coding, reviewing, and debugging.
• Execution discipline: predictable delivery against sprints and quality gates.
• Team leadership and mentoring: you grow the engineers you lead.
• Collaboration: across the architect, QA, support, and product.

Skills

IPsec, TLS, VPN