Part Time Lab Tech Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Position Summary

Location: Remote / Hybrid (Washington, D.C. metro preferred)
Engagement Type: Part-Time Consultant with option to convert to Full-Time as demand grows
Travel: Occasional domestic travel may be required based on client needs

Square Peg Technologies is expanding a new services line focused on helping government and commercial organizations prepare for the post-quantum era. We are seeking a mid-level PQC Solutions Engineer to join us initially in a consulting capacity, with the opportunity to transition to a full-time role as the PQC practice scales and additional customers are onboarded.

This role is well suited for an engineer who enjoys hands-on technical work, thrives in early-stage service development, and wants to play a foundational role in building practical, real-world post-quantum cryptography capabilities. You will support tool evaluation, engineering prototyping, and client-facing technical delivery while helping shape reusable assets that enable the growth of Square Peg’s PQC offering.

This role supports early-stage assessments, technical validation, and pilot delivery efforts across multiple client engagements, and may require occasional travel to support client meetings, workshops, or on-site technical activities.

Key Responsibilities

Tool Evaluation and Testing

• Evaluate open-source and commercial PQC libraries, cryptographic discovery tools, and key management solutions
• Benchmark performance, assess compatibility, and document technical findings
• Engineering and Integration
• Develop reference implementations for integrating PQC algorithms such as Kyber and Dilithium into simulated enterprise environments
• Build automation scripts and APIs to support cryptographic scanning and analysis workflows

Prototype and Lab Development

• Create lab environments to simulate cryptographic migration and crypto-agile workflows
• Test key management architectures and develop reusable engineering artifacts

Technical Documentation

• Produce engineering design documents, tool comparison guides, integration checklists, and user documentation
• Contribute to internal SOPs and delivery playbooks

Client Engagement Support

• Support client pilots, demonstrations, and technical assessments
• Deploy tools, collect cryptographic inventory data, analyze results, and contribute to client-facing deliverables

Internal Enablement

• Package reusable scripts, tooling, and processes to support scaling the PQC service line
• Participate in internal knowledge-sharing and engineering reviews

Required Qualifications

• 3–6 years of engineering experience in cybersecurity, secure systems development, or infrastructure security
• Proficiency with at least one scripting or programming language such as Python, Bash, or PowerShell
• Strong understanding of cryptographic protocols including TLS, SSH, and S/MIME, along with PKI and certificate lifecycle management
• Experience integrating or working with cryptographic libraries such as OpenSSL, Bouncy Castle, or liboqs
• Ability to design, document, and troubleshoot systems in complex environments

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with government security standards and guidance, including FIPS 140-3, NIST SP 800-175B, SP 800-131A, NSM-10, and OMB M-23-02
• Hands-on experience with PQC tools such as Open Quantum Safe, SandboxAQ, or cloud-based KMS platforms with PQC extensions
• Experience implementing encryption or key management in cloud environments such as AWS, Azure, or GCP
• Familiarity with Zero Trust Architecture and modern identity frameworks
• Experience with containerization or automation tools such as Docker, Ansible, or Terraform
• Relevant cybersecurity certifications such as Security+, CISSP, or CCSP

Impact

In this role, you will help establish the engineering backbone of Square Peg’s PQC offering, delivering real technical value to early adopters, building reusable tools and reference implementations, and shaping how organizations begin their transition to post-quantum cryptography. Your work will directly influence how the practice scales, how clients adopt PQC technologies, and how the role may evolve into a full-time position as customer demand grows.

Why Join Square Peg Technologies

• Consultant-first role with a clear path to full-time as the practice grows
• Opportunity to help build a new national security and enterprise-focused capability
• Work at the intersection of cryptography, quantum readiness, and cybersecurity
• Mission-oriented clients and meaningful technical challenges
• Flexible, remote-first environment with strong technical ownership

Additional Note

Compensation is extremely competitive and will be discussed based on experience, engagement scope, and availability.