Research Engineer

Tempo; Thaba Chweu Local Municipality; On-site; ZAR 500 000 - 750 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading blockchain company in Mpumalanga is seeking a talented individual to design and implement new protocol-level features that address issues like privacy and scaling. As part of the team, you will work closely with top researchers and crypto experts while leveraging your strong knowledge of Solidity and EVM blockchains. Join a dynamic environment focused on solving real-world payment problems.

Qualifications

• Experience with protocol research on consensus, scaling, cryptography, and liquidity.
• Demonstrated experience shipping production-level features for DEXs or other onchain products.
• Ability to write, test, and optimize Solidity code.

Responsibilities

• Design new protocol-level features to solve problems like privacy and scaling.
• Prototype reference implementation into new features and ship into production.
• Explain novel inventions to users and partners.

Skills

Protocol research

Production-level features for onchain products

Solidity coding and optimization

Deep understanding of EVM blockchains

Real-world problem solving with crypto

Job description

Overview

Tempo is a layer-1 blockchain purpose-built for stablecoins and real-world payments, born from Stripe’s experience in global payments and Paradigm’s expertise in crypto tech.

Tempo’s payment-first design provides a scalable, low-cost predictable backbone that meets the needs of high-volume payment use cases. Our goal is to move money reliably, cheaply, and at scale. Our north star is simplicity for users: fintechs, traditional banks, merchants, platforms, and anyone else looking to move their payments into the 21st century.

We're building Tempo with design partners who are global leaders in AI, e-commerce, and financial services: Anthropic, Coupang, Deutsche Bank, DoorDash, Mercury, Nubank, OpenAI, Revolut, Shopify, Standard Chartered, Visa, and more.

We’re a team of crypto-optimists, building the infrastructure needed to bring real, substantial economic flows onchain. Our team primarily works in-person out of our San Francisco and NYC offices. We like to move fast and swing for the fences — join us!

Role

This person would work closely with researchers at Tempo, Paradigm, Stripe, and our design partners to invent the future of the Tempo protocol.

Responsibilities

• Design new protocol-level features to solve problems like privacy, capital efficiency, and scaling

• Pressure-test ideas with the rest of the team and the community

• Prototype reference implementation into new features and ship into production

• Explain novel inventions to users, partners, and the world

Qualifications

• Experience with protocol research on topics like consensus, scaling, cryptography, liquidity, and MEV

• Demonstrated experience shipping production-level features for DEXs, L1s, L2s, or other onchain products.

• Ability to write, test, and optimize Solidity code.

• Deep understanding of EVM blockchains, including features like account abstraction and gas metering

• Interest in using crypto to solve real-world problems around payments

Attributes

• Razor-sharp thinker with precise command of language

• Concise, evidence-based storytelling ability

• Excellent organizational and logistical skills

• Intense curiosity and open-mindedness

• Scrappiness; willingness to roll up sleeves

• Growth mindset