Master Thesis Post-Quantum Embedded Software Project (f/m/d)

About the Team

You will join a multidisciplinary security research team working on emerging topics such as Post‑Quantum Cryptography (PQC), Cyber Resilience, Machine Learning and AI, Ultra‑Wideband (UWB) Security, and Physical Security. The team explores new concepts, evaluates technical feasibility, and prototypes ideas that may support future security technologies at NXP.

Project Highlight & Key Challenge

This thesis focuses on optimizing the performance and memory footprint of modern post‑quantum cryptographic (PQC) schemes on resource‑constrained embedded platforms. Typical targets include microcontroller‑class systems such as Arm Cortex‑M and RISC‑V–based devices. You will work with established open‑source PQC codebases and benchmarking frameworks such as PQM4 and PQClean, studying both algorithmic and implementation‑level optimization strategies. The goal is to identify bottlenecks and experimentally evaluate how different approaches affect execution performance, stack usage, and overall memory footprint on embedded targets.

This is a research‑driven project in which you contribute by exploring solution spaces, generating technical insights, and documenting your findings.

Your Responsibilities

In this thesis project, you will:

• Perform a literature survey on optimization techniques relevant to PQC and embedded cryptography.
• Analyze existing PQC implementations to identify performance or memory bottlenecks.
• Implement and evaluate optimization ideas using embedded cryptographic frameworks (e.g., PQM4, PQClean) on microcontroller‑class platforms.
• Measure and compare performance improvements and memory usage using appropriate benchmarking methodologies.
• Document your methodology and results and present your conclusions to the security research team.

Candidate Profile / Requirements

You are a master’s student in Computer Science, Information Engineering, Information Security, Cryptography, Mathematics, Software Engineering, or a related field.

You should have:

• Good C programming skills, including experience with low‑level development and performance‑aware code.
• Good hands‑on experience with embedded or low‑level software development (e.g., microcontrollers, cross‑compilation, debugging, or build systems).
• Interest to learn more about the following topics: embedded systems, cryptography, software optimization, hardware–software interaction, or secure system design.
• Very good English communication skills, both written and spoken.
• A professional and collaborative working style, including openness to guidance, constructive feedback, and teamwork in a research‑oriented environment.

What NXP Offers:

• A monthly salary of €2,120.00
• Flexible working hours
• The possibility to work in a hybrid setup
• Access to an on-site cafeteria
• Networking initiatives and Employee Resource Groups such as Young Community, No Extra Planet, NXP Equal, Women in NXP, and more — fostering both professional and personal exchange

Please note:
The successful candidate may/will be responsible for security related tasks.
The assignment may/will be in scope of security certifications, therefore a conscious and reliable way of working is necessary.

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