Sr Software Engineer – Blockchain — Charles Schwab

The Bitcoin Street Journal; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Employee stock purchase plan

Paid time off

Volunteer time off

Sabbatical after 5 years

Parental leave

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Job summary

Schwab Technology Services (STS) Research & Development is conducting hands-on work building full-stack solutions with private/permissioned blockchain networks. You will design and deploy front-end and back-end services, integrate with ledgers, and implement on-chain compliance and reconciliation processes.

Role centers on tokenized cash/funds, DeFi, and interoperability, with opportunities to contribute to AI/ML and cloud-native initiatives.

Qualifications

• Over 10 years of software engineering with production ownership.
• 3+ years in blockchain development or crypto assets.
• Familiar with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Layer 2 solutions.
• Experience running blockchain infrastructure and permissioned networks.
• Knowledge of tokenization including ERC-20/721/1155 and asset securitization.
• Proficiency in Solidity, Rust, Python, Go, or Java.
• Ability to translate research into real-world applications.
• Clear written communication for non-engineers.

Responsibilities

• Explain complex technical ideas to business partners.
• Evaluate blockchain architectures and tokenization methodologies.
• Stay abreast of blockchain innovations in DeFi, digital identity, and interoperability.
• Contribute to blockchain and digital assets strategy via whitepapers and presentations.
• Engage with industry consortia, regulators, and partners.
• Build and operate permissioned EVM networks for experimentation.
• Design, deploy, and test smart contracts for tokenized instruments.
• Implement on-chain compliance controls and off-chain reconciliation pipelines.
• Document experiments and outcomes to inform production readiness.
• Collaborate with product, operations, risk, and compliance to test hypotheses.

Skills

Blockchain architectures

Smart contracts

Ethereum/EVM

Programming languages

Cryptography

Analytical skills

Communication to non-engineers

Technical hypothesis testing

Job description

At Schwab, you’re empowered to make an impact on your career. Here, innovative thought meets creative problem solving, helping us “challenge the status quo” and transform the finance industry together.

We believe in the importance of in-office collaboration and fully intend for the selected candidate for this role to work on site in the specified location(s).

Schwab Technology Services (STS) Research & Development team is responsible for exploring innovative technologies and identifying ways that organizations throughout Schwab might benefit from their application. The Incubation Lab is the group that builds pilots to production ready standards. We stand up working systems, run them against real financial workflows, and produce evidence that a capability is viable before it becomes a production commitment.

This role is hands‑on – you will spend most of your time building full stack solutions. You will design, develop, and maintain modern front‑end applications and back‑end services. You build with private and/or permissioned blockchain networks, write and deploy the smart contracts that run on them, and integrate those networks with the ledgers, order flow, and recordkeeping systems that the firm already depends on. Current work centers on tokenized cash and tokenized funds, on‑chain compliance controls, and reconciliation between chain state and books of record. Engineers in the lab also contribute to adjacent research in AI/ML, cloud‑native design, and digital trust.

Key Responsibilities

• Clearly explain complex technical ideas to business partners in a way that helps them understand the impact and possibilities, bridging the gap between tech and strategy.
• Evaluate different blockchain architectures, smart contract frameworks, and tokenization methodologies to assess their applicability to our business.
• Stay at the forefront of blockchain innovation, identifying new opportunities in digital identity, decentralized finance (DeFi), tokenized securities, and interoperability.
• Contribute to the company’s blockchain and digital assets strategy through whitepapers, presentations, and internal education initiatives.
• Engage with industry consortia, regulators, and technology partners to understand emerging trends and best practices.
• Build and operate permissioned EVM networks used for experimentation: validator configuration, node infrastructure, observability, transaction signing, and upgrade paths.
• Design, implement, test, and deploy smart contracts for tokenized instruments, including issuance, redemption, transfer restrictions, and lifecycle events.
• Implement on‑chain compliance controls (allowlists, role‑based permissioning, transfer‑agent >
• Integrate chain activity with off‑chain systems: event listeners that translate ledger and order events into mint and burn operations, and reconciliation pipelines that true token supply against the authoritative system of record.
• Evaluate platforms, execution environments, and vendor infrastructure against defined criteria, then publish the comparison so architecture decisions rest on measured behavior rather than vendor claims.
• Write the engineering record for each experiment: what was built, what it demonstrated, where it failed, and what would need to change for production use.
• Work directly with partners across product, operations, risk, and compliance to turn a business question into a testable technical hypothesis, and explain results in terms those partners can act on.
• Support other R&D initiatives in areas like AI/ML, cloud‑native application design, spatial computing, and digital identity/trust, contributing architectural insight and cross‑domain thinking.

What you have

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, with production ownership of systems you designed.
• 3+ years of experience in blockchain development, crypto asset management, or related fields.
• Strong understanding of blockchain architectures (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Layer 2 solutions) and crypto wallet infrastructure.
• Experience running blockchain infrastructure, not only deploying to it. Permissioned or consortium networks (Besu, Quorum, or comparable) are directly relevant.
• Experience in working with secure wallet solutions, including key management (MPC, HSMs, cold storage, custodial vs. non‑custodial models), and the operational controls each requires.
• Familiarity with tokenization of assets, including securities, stablecoins, and smart contracts (ERC-20, ERC-721, ERC-1155, etc.).
• Working knowledge of Ethereum and the EVM at the level required to debug it: gas mechanics, storage layout, the proxy and upgrade patterns in common use, and the failure modes each introduces.
• Proficiency in multiple programming languages such as Solidity, Rust, Python, Go, or Java.
• Experience with cryptographic protocols, DeFi applications, and blockchain interoperability solutions.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to translate research findings into real‑world applications.
• Ability to write clearly for an audience that includes non‑engineers, and to defend a technical position while remaining open to being wrong.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within fintech, financial institutions, or technology‑driven R&D teams.
• Knowledge of regulatory and compliance frameworks related to digital assets (SEC, FINRA, AML/KYC, MiCA).
• Prior experience working at a financial institution, fintech, or blockchain startup.
• Hands‑on experience with Zero‑Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs), Decentralized Identity (DID), or Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).
• Cross‑chain messaging and interoperability protocols.
• Understanding of financial services infrastructure, including payments, settlements, and capital markets.
• A secondary skillset in one or more emerging technology area outside of crypto technology: e.g. AI/ML/GenAI, Spatial Computing, Cloud Native Design, Digital Trust.

In addition to the salary range, this role is also eligible for bonus or incentive opportunities.

What’s in it for you

At Schwab, you’re empowered to shape your future. We champion your growth through meaningful work, continuous learning, and a culture of trust and collaboration—so you can build the skills to make a lasting impact. Our Hybrid Work and Flexibility approach balances our ongoing commitment to workplace flexibility, serving our clients, and our strong belief in the value of being together in person on a regular basis.

We offer a competitive benefits package that takes care of the whole you – both today and in the future:

• 401(k) with company match and Employee stock purchase plan
• Paid time for vacation, volunteering, and 28‑day sabbatical after every 5 years of service for eligible positions
• Paid parental leave and family building benefits
• Health, dental, and vision insurance