Head of Research

🌍 About Hopae

At Hopae, we're building the world's most trusted digital identity platform — private, secure, and built for real life. We believe identity should be in your control — not locked behind outdated systems or centralized gatekeepers.

Our product, Hopae Connect, lets businesses verify real people across borders through a single API — no need to build country-by-country integrations themselves. Our technology powers instant, privacy-first verification across fintech, credentials, supply chain, and gaming — for IDV providers, e-signature platforms, and enterprises who need identity to just work, everywhere.

Backed by top global investors, Hopae operates across Seoul, Paris, Luxembourg, and San Francisco, bringing together exceptional talent from over 10 nationalities. We move fast, think globally, and build products that define the future of identity.

💡 Why You’ll Love It Here

• Global DNA: Work with exceptional peers across Seoul, Paris, and San Francisco

• High Impact: Build technology shaping the global trust and identity landscape

• Ownership Culture: No micromanagement — full trust, full accountability

• Elite Standards: Work fast, learn fast, and grow with world-class peers

• Inclusive & Respectful: 10+ nationalities, diverse perspectives, one vision

• Growth Mindset: Access mentorship, leadership visibility, and continuous learning

🎯 What You Will Do

Digital identity is one of the most complex, fragmented, and consequential infrastructure problems in the world. As Head of Research at Hopae, you lead the team exploring what comes next — from government eID systems to hardware-based, in-person identification — and you 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.

• Define and own Hopae's research roadmap across two tracks: 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 to move from insight to implementation

• Monitor the global identity landscape — standards bodies, regulatory developments, emerging technologies, and competitive dynamics — and keep Hopae ahead of the curve

• 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 — positioning Hopae's expertise as a competitive differentiator

🧠 Who You Are

• 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, precedents are few, and the ability to create structure from ambiguity is essential

• Strong external presence — you've 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

⚡️ Fast Facts

• 💰 $6.5M+ raised from top global investors

• 📦 2.6M+ downloads of our sd-jwt-js library

• 🌍 10+ nationalities across 3 hubs

• 🔬 82 eID research projects completed

• 🌐 3 projects accepted into the OpenWallet Foundation

🎁 Benefits & Culture

• Unlimited PTO

• Remote-friendly work model

• Real ownership from Day 1

• High-impact, global product

• Multicultural, respectful team

🧭 Interview Process

1. Recruiter Intro Call (30 min) – Get to know Hopae

2. Functional or Technical Interview (45 min) – Dive into your skills

3. Culture Fit Conversation (45 min) – Collaboration & alignment

4. Offer 🎉

Note: The process may vary slightly depending on the role.