Senior Software Engineer, Protocol (Rust)

Ethereum Job Board; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 237,000 - 299,000; Full time

Job summary

Ethereum Job Board is seeking a Senior Software Engineer, Protocol (Rust) to contribute to the core protocol stack of an Optimism-based Ethereum Layer 2 solution. The role emphasizes building production-grade Rust components, conformance testing, and robust protocol upgrades in a distributed, high-velocity environment.

Ideal candidates will have deep Ethereum knowledge, distributed systems experience, and the ability to navigate ambiguity while delivering high-quality code.

Qualifications

• Professional record of shipping production software.
• Deep knowledge of Ethereum (EVM, JSON-RPC, clients) and distributed systems.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and communicate complex design decisions effectively.
• (Preferred) Familiarity with op-node, kona, or Reth implementations.
• (Preferred) Ability to read and navigate production Go code while migrating behavior into Rust.
• (Bonus) Proficiency in Solidity for system-level smart contracts.

Responsibilities

• Own features through the full lifecycle: architecture, implementation, docs, deployment, and monitoring.
• Build rigorous conformance and adversarial tests to ensure compatibility.
• Execute safe protocol upgrades and resolve complex availability/performance issues.
• Use AI-assisted engineering tools effectively while maintaining standards for correctness, security, review, and ownership.

Job description

Senior Software Engineer, Protocol (Rust)

Remote

Senior

$236.896K – $299.306K

OP Labs builds Optimism, an open-source blockchain network that powers the next generation of financial infrastructure. Hundreds of companies, from the world's largest enterprises like Sony, Coinbase, Kraken, Uniswap, OKX, and Bitpanda to the most ambitious early-stage builders, use the OP stack to launch their own blockchains and bring their users onchain. Today, over 65% of Layer 2 activity on Ethereum runs through the OP stack.

We are a small team building at the speed of the ecosystem we support. We’re remote-friendly but the NYC office is our center of gravity. We've raised $178M from a16z, Paradigm, and others. We have our work cut out for us and are looking for exceptional people to join us.

Our Protocol Team designs and operates the core specifications and clients defining the stack. This creates opportunities to improve the underlying protocol while developing differentiated capabilities for enterprise chain operators. Near term projects may cover:

Developing kona-node and related Rust-based consensus-client infrastructure as a fully compatible and production-ready alternative to op-node

Implementing native account abstraction across the stack.

Developing premium protocol capabilities that support OP Enterprise

We are seeking mission-driven contributors who thrive on tackling complex computer science challenges while delivering high quality code with high-velocity.

What are the role responsibilities?

Own features through the full lifecycle: from architecture, implementation, and docs to deployment and monitoring. Working cross functionally to create maximum impact.

Build rigorous conformance and adversarial tests to ensure implementation compatibility.

Execute safe protocol upgrades and resolve complex availability/performance issues.

Use AI-assisted engineering tools effectively while maintaining rigorous standards for correctness, security, review, and technical ownership.

Skills and Experience

Professional record of shipping production software and maintainable Rust systems.

Deep knowledge of Ethereum (EVM, JSON-RPC, clients) and distributed systems.

Ability to navigate ambiguity and communicate complex design decisions effectively.

(Preferred) Familiarity with op-node, kona, or Reth implementations.

(Preferred) Ability to read and navigate production Go code while migrating behavior into Rust.

(Bonus) Proficiency in Solidity for system-level smart contracts.

Optimism develops Ethereum Layer 2 infrastructure, including OP Mainnet and the open-source OP Stack for launching scalable blockchain networks.