Head of Research
Hopae is a digital identity company providing a platform for businesses to securely and seamlessly verify and onboard customers. Their solutions, which include an API (hConnect) and an SDK for building EUDI-compliant wallets, focus on eliminating fraud, ensuring data privacy, and meeting global compliance standards. The company is building a trusted, decentralized identity platform with a focus on user control, privacy, and security, and has a diverse, global team with offices in Paris, San Francisco, and Seoul.
Funding
Projects
About Hopae Inc.
Hopae is a digital identity company that provides solutions for businesses to securely and efficiently verify and onboard customers, aiming to eliminate the need for physical documents. Their platform is designed to boost trust and reduce friction by offering features like simplified global compliance (e.g., EUDI, GDPR), fraud prevention with tamper-proof credentials, and enhanced user privacy by sharing only necessary data. Key products include the hConnect API for integrating secure eID login and an SDK for building EUDI-compliant digital wallets. These tools support various credentials, including Mobile Driver's Licenses, National IDs, and corporate IDs. Hopae is actively engaged in the identity technology community, participating in industry events and sharing insights through reports and guides. The company has a global presence with offices in Paris, San Francisco, and Seoul.
Skills
About the Role
You will lead the team exploring what comes next in digital identity — from government eID systems to hardware-based, in-person identification — and translate that exploration into products and partnerships that matter. This is a leadership role with real scope: you'll set the research agenda, grow and lead a team, and sit at the intersection of technology, regulation, and product.
Requirements
- 8+ years of experience in identity, digital trust, cryptography, or a closely related technical domain — with at least 3 years in a research leadership or team lead capacity
- Deep knowledge of eID ecosystems — government identity programs, standards (W3C, ISO, ETSI), and regulatory frameworks across multiple jurisdictions
- Hands-on experience or strong familiarity with hardware-based identification technologies — NFC, biometrics, secure elements, or related domains
- A builder and a leader — you set the research direction, develop your team, and drive work from hypothesis to real-world applicability
- Comfortable operating at the frontier where requirements are unclear and precedents are few
- Strong external presence — engaged with standards bodies, published research, or represented an organization in industry forums
- Based in Luxembourg; fluent in English — additional European languages are a plus
Responsibilities
- Define and own Hopae's research roadmap across eID and government identity systems globally, and hardware-based in-person identification solutions
- Lead, grow, and mentor a team of researchers — setting standards, creating focus, and building a culture of rigorous, outcome-oriented inquiry
- Translate research findings into actionable product direction — working closely with Engineering, Product, and Legal
- Monitor the global identity landscape — standards bodies, regulatory developments, emerging technologies, and competitive dynamics
- Represent Hopae externally in relevant industry forums, working groups, and standards organizations (including OpenWallet Foundation and eID authorities)
- Partner with Business Development to turn research assets into commercial opportunities
Benefits
- Unlimited PTO
- Remote-friendly work model