Senior Software Engineer - Special Projects

OP Recruiting; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and equity

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Flexible work environment

Job summary

OP Recruiting is seeking a high-impact Senior Engineer to develop a new greenfield application. This role involves architecting high-performance systems and leading backend service deployment with a focus on security and reliability. Candidates should have over 5 years of software development experience and expert-level programming skills, primarily in Rust. The position offers a competitive salary, equity package, and a flexible, results-oriented work environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional software development experience focused on complex distributed systems.
• Expert-level programming skills, primarily in Rust, with strong proficiency in C++ or Go.
• Proven history of shipping production-grade systems with low latency.

Responsibilities

• Architect and deploy foundational backend services for a new market-facing product.
• Develop low-latency, high-availability infrastructure integrating with real-time blockchain transactions.
• Manage end-to-end position tracking and transaction lifecycles.

Skills

Systems programming

Distributed systems

Security modeling

Low-level programming languages

Job description

About the Opportunity

We are seeking a high-impact Senior Engineer to spearhead the development of a greenfield application designed to bridge the gap between sophisticated market infrastructure and the end-user. You will join a nimble, elite team of builders who have previously developed industry-leading protocols responsible for billions in transaction volume. As an early hire, you will have total technical ownership over a 0-to-1 product, architecting high-performance systems from the ground up alongside world-class designers and systems engineers.

Location

Chicago, IL (Remote Friendly)

Responsibilities

• Architect and deploy foundational backend services for a new market-facing product from the initial design phase.
• Develop low-latency, high-availability infrastructure that integrates with real-time blockchain transaction and block-generation pipelines.
• Lead the development of core functional modules including order execution, intelligent routing, and live market data processing.
• Establish a robust security posture across the entire stack, managing everything from secure signing workflows to sensitive data isolation.
• Drive major architectural roadmap decisions and collaborate with cross-functional leads to iterate rapidly based on live performance metrics.
• Manage end-to-end position tracking and transaction lifecycles within a high-stakes production environment.

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional software development experience, specifically focused on complex distributed systems.
• Expert-level systems programming skills. While Rust is the primary language, deep proficiency in C++, Go, or similar low-level languages is highly valued.
• Proven history of shipping production-grade systems where low latency and extreme reliability were mission-critical.
• A security-centric engineering philosophy. You prioritize threat modeling, failure mode analysis, and secure key management in your daily workflow.
• Self-directed operator. You thrive in 0-to-1 environments characterized by high autonomy and evolving requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep understanding of the Solana ecosystem, including runtime mechanics, MEV, and market microstructure.
• Background in developing exchange infrastructure or high-frequency trading (HFT) platforms.
• Experience in DeFi protocol design or fintech backend services (custody, settlement, or payments).
• Knowledge of execution quality optimization and transaction block building.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity package commensurate with early-stage seniority.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Flexible work environment with a focus on high-output and results.