Senior Probe Appliance Engineer

Who we are CryptoNext Security is a deeptech startup specializing in

post-quantum cryptography . We help businesses and institutions get ready for a world where quantum computers will break today’s cryptography. Our customers include major banks, defense actors, telecom operators, and large enterprises securing their most sensitive infrastructures.

On a daily basis, you will As Senior Probe Appliance Engineer, you will take full technical ownership of the

COMPASS probe appliance , a high-performance hardware + software component responsible for packet capture, telemetry extraction, and encrypted traffic analysis.

You will work across the full lifecycle of the appliance: system installation, kernel-level tuning, security hardening, performance optimization, reliability engineering, and operational excellence.

System, OS & Installation

Deploy, configure, and maintain the

COMPASS probe appliance

(hardware + Linux OS).

Perform OS-level and kernel-level hardening (CIS benchmarks, secure boot, file integrity, access control).

Network Performance & Packet Capture

Optimize the appliance for

high-throughput packet capture

using DPDK, AF_XDP, or zero-copy capture frameworks.

Tune network interfaces, NIC offloading, IRQ distribution, and NUMA alignment.

Build low-latency, high-performance data paths.

Data Ingestion & Pipeline Integration

Guarantee secure, reliable ingestion into

Kafka

pipelines.

Ensure compatibility and performance with downstream data and platform components.

Engineering Collaboration

Work closely with R&D teams to integrate parsing modules, firmware updates, and kernel patches.

Document operating procedures (installation, upgrades, troubleshooting).

Observability, Monitoring & Reliability

Implement monitoring (metrics, logs, health checks).

Maintain configuration management and full traceability of system changes.

Run benchmarks, stress tests, and capacity planning.

Deployment Support

Provide support to customers and integrators during field deployment (occasional on-site presence).

Security

Contribute to the appliance’s security model:

access control,

secure boot chain,

encryption (at rest and in transit),

update pipeline security.

The skills you'll need Must-have

10+ years

of experience in system engineering, network engineering, or infrastructure security.

Master’s degree from a French engineering school or equivalent.

Deep expertise in:

Linux system administration

Kernel tuning and OS-level performance optimization

Networking, packet capture, and traffic analysis

Experience with:

CIS, NIST, or ANSSI hardening methodologies

Hardware optimization (CPU pinning, NUMA, NIC queues, hugepages)

Kafka or streaming ingestion technologies

Automation scripting (Bash, Python, Ansible)

Excellent documentation skills and rigor.

Fluent in English.

Bonus

Experience with

DPDK , AF_XDP, or similar high-throughput capture frameworks.

Background in

NDR / IDS / DPI

appliances or packet inspection.

Knowledge of secure boot chains, TPMs, or hardware-backed security.

Experience with embedded Linux or containerized environments.

Familiarity with Elasticsearch or observability stacks.

Exposure to cryptographic or secure distributed systems.

The team you’ll be joining You will join the

COMPASS product engineering team , working closely with:

R&D engineers building probe parsing logic and cryptographic modules

Data engineering & platform teams managing ingestion and observability pipelines

The Head of Engineering and CTO for architecture and long-term strategy

Product and QA teams to ensure reliability, performance, and compliance

You will be the

reference engineer

for everything related to probe performance, appliance security, and kernel-level tuning.

Our recruitment process

HR intro

– get to know each other and understand your background.

Technical interview

with senior engineers + Head of Engineering (Linux, networking, OS tuning, probe performance).

CTO meeting

– architecture, deep-dive, and cultural fit.

Offer & onboarding

— welcome to CryptoNext!

What’s in it for you at CryptoNext

Shape a

core component

of a next-generation cybersecurity product.

Work on

challenging, low-level engineering problems

involving kernel optimization and network performance.

Collaborate with senior engineers and cryptography experts.

Flexible hybrid/remote work with a central Paris office.

Competitive compensation aligned with seniority.

Direct impact on the

technical backbone

of a quantum-safe observability platform.

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