Security Engineer

Tempo; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Tempo is building a full-time internal Red Team to continuously stress-test our infrastructure. As a security engineer, you will write Rust fuzzers, simulate economic attacks on our testnet, and dissect the EVM to find edge cases in our execution client.

We look for builders who understand that the best way to secure a protocol is to try to break it every day. If you have topped CTF leaderboards, submitted high-severity bug bounties, or built security tooling because standard tools weren't

Qualifications

• Fluent in production-ready Rust
• Deep understanding of EVM internals (opcodes, storage, gas, precompiles)
• Proven track record in offensive security (CTFs, bug bounties, published research)
• Experience creating custom security automation/tools beyond off-the-shelf scanners

Responsibilities

• Proactively hunt for vulnerabilities in the Tempo protocol, consensus engine, and bridge architecture.
• Design and implement security tooling and automation with the Foundry team to catch logic errors and edge cases.
• Partner with engineering teams to review critical architecture across codebase.
• Analyze incentives and game-theoretic risks to prevent economic exploits.

Skills

Rust

EVM internals

Offensive security

Security tooling

Job description

Tempo is a layer-1 blockchain purpose-built for stablecoins and real-world payments, born from Stripe’s experience in global payments and Paradigm’s expertise in crypto tech.

Tempo’s payment-first design provides a scalable, low-cost predictable backbone that meets the needs of high-volume payment use cases. Our goal is to move money reliably, cheaply, and at scale. Our north star is simplicity for users: fintechs, traditional banks, merchants, platforms, and anyone else looking to move their payments into the 21st century.

We're building Tempo with design partners who are global leaders in AI, e-commerce, and financial services: Anthropic, Coupang, Deutsche Bank, DoorDash, Mercury, Nubank, OpenAI, Revolut, Shopify, Standard Chartered, Visa, and more.

We’re a team of crypto-optimists, building the infrastructure needed to bring real, substantial economic flows onchain. We like to move fast and swing for the fences — join us!

The Role

We are building a full-time internal Red Team to continuously stress-test our own infrastructure. As a security engineer, you won't just be ticking compliance boxes; you will be writing Rust fuzzers, simulating economic attacks on our testnet, and dissecting the EVM to find edge cases in our execution client. We are looking for a builder who understands that the best way to secure a protocol is to try to break it continuously. If you have a history of topping CTF leaderboards, submitting high-severity bug bounties, or building your own security tooling because the standard ones weren't good enough—this role is for you.

Responsibilities

• Proactively hunt for vulnerabilities in the Tempo protocol, consensus engine, and bridge architecture, treating our mainnet like a continuous CTF challenge.

• Design and implement security tooling and automation in liaison with the Foundry team to catch logic errors and edge cases.

• Partner with engineering teams to review critical architecture across our codebase.

• Analyze incentives and game-theoretic risks within the protocol, such as MEV and staking dynamics, to prevent economic exploits.

Qualifications

• Fluency in reading and writing production-level code in systems languages, with a strong preference for Rust.

• Deep expertise in EVM internals, including intimate knowledge of opcodes, storage slots, gas metering, and precompiles.

• Proven track record of offensive security, such as high rankings in CTFs (e.g., Paradigm CTF), high-severity bug bounty submissions, or published research.

• Experience building custom security automation or tooling rather than relying solely on off-the-shelf scanners.

• Bleeding-edge knowledge of the latest blockchain security research, including recent hacks and how these could have been mitigated.

Attributes

• High motor

• Razor-sharp thinker with precise command of language

• Concise, evidence-based communicator

• Excellent organizational and logistical skills

• Intense curiosity and open-mindedness

• Scrappiness; willingness to roll up sleeves

• Growth mindset