Senior Software Engineer, Protocol (Rust)

ArtOfBlockchain; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote flexibility

Top-tier funding investors

High ecosystem impact

Job summary

OP Labs is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for the Protocol Team to design and maintain core specifications and node clients powering the OP Stack, including kona-node and protocol capabilities. You will drive end-to-end features with a focus on reliability, security, and scalable architectures.

Join a remote-friendly environment with opportunities to collaborate across global partners, and contribute to infrastructure powering major web3 ecosystems.

Qualifications

• Production Rust: architecting, shipping, and maintaining production-grade Rust systems.
• Ethereum Core Knowledge: deep understanding of Ethereum architecture, including the EVM, client specs, and JSON-RPC APIs.
• Distributed Systems: experience developing and troubleshooting complex distributed systems.
• Technical Ownership: ability to navigate ambiguous problems, design scalable solutions, and communicate technical decisions.

Responsibilities

• Full-Lifecycle Ownership: lead core features through architecture, code implementation, documentation, deployment, and monitoring.
• Rust Consensus Infrastructure: build kona-node and related Rust-based consensus-client infrastructure.
• Testing & Security: design adversarial and conformance test suites to guarantee cross-client compatibility and network resilience.
• Protocol Upgrades & Maintenance: execute safe protocol upgrades and resolve issues in production.
• AI & Engineering Standards: leverage AI-assisted development tools while upholding standards for security, technical ownership, and code review.

Skills

Production Rust

Ethereum Core Knowledge

Distributed Systems

Technical Ownership

Go codebases

Solidity

Tools

Go

Job description

OP Labs develops the OP Stack, an open-source Layer 2 blockchain architecture powering over 65% of Ethereum's L2 activity. Backed by $178M from top-tier VCs including a16z and Paradigm, OP Labs builds core infrastructure utilized by major global partners—such as Sony, Coinbase, Kraken, Uniswap, and OKX—to bring millions of users onchain.

Role Summary

As a Senior Software Engineer on the Protocol Team, you will design, implement, and maintain the core specifications and node clients that define the OP Stack. Your primary focus will include developing kona-node (a production-ready Rust alternative to op-node), native account abstraction, and protocol capabilities powering OP Enterprise.

Key Responsibilities

• Full-Lifecycle Ownership: Lead core features through architecture, code implementation, documentation, deployment, and monitoring.




• Rust Consensus Infrastructure: Build and maintain kona-node and related Rust-based consensus-client infrastructure fully compatible with the OP Stack.




• Testing & Security: Design adversarial and conformance test suites to guarantee cross-client compatibility and network resilience.




• Protocol Upgrades & Maintenance: Execute safe protocol upgrades and resolve complex availability or performance issues in production.




• AI & Engineering Standards: Leverage modern AI-assisted development tools while upholding rigorous standards for security, technical ownership, and code review.

Requirements & Qualifications

Must-Haves

• Production Rust: Strong track record of architecting, shipping, and maintaining production-grade Rust systems.




• Ethereum Core Knowledge: Deep understanding of Ethereum architecture, including the EVM, client specs, and JSON-RPC APIs.




• Distributed Systems: Hands-on experience developing and troubleshooting complex distributed systems.




• Technical Ownership: Ability to navigate ambiguous problems, design scalable solutions, and communicate technical decisions effectively.

Nice-to-Haves

• Direct experience with op-node, kona, or Reth implementations.




• Ability to read and navigate production Go codebases while migrating logic into Rust.




• Proficiency in Solidity for writing and auditing system-level smart contracts.

Benefits & Perks

• Remote Flexibility: Work fully remote from anywhere globally, with access to the NYC office if preferred.




• Top-Tier Funding: Be part of a core team backed by leading Web3 investors ($178M raised from a16z, Paradigm, etc.).




• High Ecosystem Impact: Direct influence over infrastructure powering over half of Ethereum's L2 volume.