Principal Blockchain Engineer (Remote)

Placements24; Stellenbosch; Híbrido; ZAR 1.500.000 - 2.500.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Equity options

Health benefits

Professional development budget

Remote-first culture

Descripción de la vacante

Placements24 seeks a Principal Blockchain Engineer to lead design and implementation of scalable, secure blockchain infrastructure for a remote team. The role demands deep expertise in multiple protocols, cryptography, and expert stakeholder collaboration.

You will mentor engineers, shape technical strategy, and drive major architectural decisions while delivering high-performance, production-grade systems across distributed platforms.

Formación

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Cryptography, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years in software engineering with at least 6 years in blockchain and distributed systems.
• Deep expertise in Ethereum, Bitcoin, Cosmos SDK, Polkadot Substrate.
• Experience designing consensus mechanisms, cryptographic primitives, and networks.
• Proficiency in Go, Rust, or C++ for systems programming.
• Experience with smart contract development and security best practices.

Responsabilidades

• Lead design and development of complex blockchain protocols and decentralized systems.
• Architect robust, scalable, and secure blockchain infrastructure and apps.
• Define technical strategy and roadmap for core blockchain products.
• Mentor and guide senior and junior blockchain engineers.
• Conduct in-depth research on cutting-edge blockchain technologies and applications.
• Oversee security, integrity, and performance of blockchain networks.
• Collaborate with product, research, and operations teams.
• Author technical specs, whitepapers, and design documents.
• Contribute to open-source blockchain projects where applicable.

Conocimientos

Blockchain leadership

Mentoring engineers

Distributed systems

Architectural design

Remote collaboration

Analytical problem-solving

Educación

Ph.D. in Computer Science or related field

Master's in CS or related field

Herramientas

Go

Rust

C++

Smart contract security

Cryptography primitives

Descripción del empleo

About the Role

Our client, a globally recognized leader in decentralized technologies, is seeking an exceptional Principal Blockchain Engineer for their fully remote team. This is a senior-level position requiring deep technical expertise, innovative thinking, and the ability to drive major architectural decisions. You will be responsible for the design and implementation of highly scalable, secure, and performant blockchain infrastructure and applications. This role offers the opportunity to shape the technical direction of the company's blockchain initiatives and mentor a talented team of engineers. As a remote-first organization, we foster a culture of autonomy, trust, and continuous learning. You will tackle complex challenges in areas such as consensus algorithms, cryptography, and network scalability. Your work will directly impact the core of our blockchain ecosystem, based in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, ZA , but executed entirely remotely.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of complex blockchain protocols and decentralized systems.
• Architect robust, scalable, and secure blockchain infrastructure and applications.
• Define technical strategy and roadmap for core blockchain products.
• Mentor and guide senior and junior blockchain engineers.
• Conduct in-depth research on cutting-edge blockchain technologies and potential applications.
• Oversee and ensure the security, integrity, and performance of blockchain networks.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product, research, and operations.
• Author technical specifications, whitepapers, and design documents.
• Contribute significantly to open-source blockchain projects where applicable.
• Troubleshoot and resolve critical issues in production blockchain environments.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Cryptography, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, with a minimum of 6 years focused specifically on blockchain technology and distributed systems.
• Deep expertise in multiple blockchain protocols (e.g., Ethereum, Bitcoin, Cosmos SDK, Polkadot Substrate).
• Proven experience in designing and implementing consensus mechanisms, cryptographic primitives, and network protocols.
• Strong proficiency in systems programming languages like Go, Rust, or C++.
• Experience with smart contract development and security best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical initiatives and mentor engineering teams.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and architectural design skills.
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, adept at working in a fully remote setting.
• Published research or contributions to the blockchain community are highly valued.

Benefits

• This is a fully remote position offering exceptional flexibility and autonomy.
• Our client provides a highly competitive compensation package, including significant equity options, comprehensive health benefits, and a generous professional development budget.
• You will have the opportunity to work on groundbreaking projects with a team of world-class engineers.
• Enjoy a supportive and intellectually stimulating remote-first culture.
• This role, technically linked to Stellenbosch, Western Cape, ZA , offers true global reach and impact.