Blockchain R&D Engineer

ChainSafe Systems is a blockchain R&D firm on a mission to realize the potential of Web3 infrastructure through sustainable, open-source development. Our vision is to create a world with organizations that empower people to build and innovate through blockchain agnostic tools and other distributed technologies.

We are global leaders in the industry, unique in our work across multiple blockchain ecosystems, and currently are pioneering Ethereum, Polkadot and Filecoin technology. We are actively pursuing the development of our own product suite, having recently released Files, which allows users to upload and store files on IPFS and Filecoin with the goal of furthering development to provide a decentralized alternative to cloud storage.

ChainSafe is a unique company in a unique space, growing quickly and building a global reputation in this nascent space. Beyond offering experience across every major blockchain space to our team, we provide an open, inclusive, and supportive environment where we help folks reach their full potential as a human and as a professional.

Here’s what you might want to know before reading on:

• Our stack is progressive and open-source and includes Go, Rust, and TypeScript.
• We spearhead ecosystem projects like Lodestar, Web3.js, Forest, Mina-rs, and Gossamer.
• We are dedicated to building novel things and solving hard problems which is why we have a dedicated R&D department.
• We are global, remote-friendly, and open to contractors (who can commit to a minimum of 35 hours a week). For those local to Toronto, Berlin, or Zagreb, our casual and open-concept offices have meeting rooms, lounge areas, and space to pull up a chair.

Culture fit and alignment to our core values are extremely important to us. We are fueled by an immense intellectual curiosity of what technology can do and the impact it can have. You will thrive here if you are intensely driven by tackling technical challenges that no one else has solved yet and are inspired by the possibility of building the next generation of web infrastructure and decentralized systems.

Job Description

The ideal candidate would be a software developer with a deep passion for research and development, a cryptography and/or blockchain background.

As a Solutions Engineer:

• you like solving complex problems and do not give up until a solution is found
• you like learning new things and explaining them to people
• you are comfortable understanding and contributing to complex codebases
• you are good at reviewing and writing long research documents
• you are a trusted source of clear and accurate information for clients
• you value practicality over perfection
• you are passionate about decentralization and blockchain

This role will provide an opportunity to be up-to-date with the latest innovations around blockchain technology. The right candidate would be motivated to be both an observer and a driver of these innovations. You will have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects. Every project is on the cutting-edge and quite often we’re figuring things out as we go, so continuous learning & teaching is the norm.

Responsibilities

• Architect and prototype novel blockchain-based and blockchain-adjacent software solutions to enable new features, improved performance, cross-chain integrations, and more for our clients
• Communicate with internal and external stakeholders regularly to understand their goals, share project progress, and address ambiguities
• Write proposals for new research and development, including detailed project plans with milestones and developer time/cost estimates
• Write specifications and supporting documentation to help developers implement our solutions
• Peer review research, proposals, and code

Qualifications

• Familiar with cryptography and/or blockchain stack including front-end, back-end, smart contracts, and protocol layers
• Experience building blockchain protocols or applications
• Ability to break down complicated concepts into simple language
• Deep understanding of cryptography and security in the context of blockchain
• Comfortable reviewing code in the absence of documentation
• Some experience with Go, Rust, JavaScript, and/or Solidity
• Understanding of distributed systems & peer-to-peer network protocols
• Ability to proactively plan, lead, execute, provide updates, and be accountable for projects
• Strong interpersonal skills when collaborating with clients and teammates
• Eager to constantly learn, ask questions, and deepen your understanding

Bonus points

• Experience writing white papers, technical articles, thesis, etc
• Experience with open-source development
• Experience writing articles or blog posts
• Product or business development experience

Additional Information

Why join us

Founded by Developers for Developers, we foster an Agile environment where tasks are assigned based not just on what you know but what you want to learn. We offer fast opportunities for personal growth, mentorship, professional development funding, tons of autonomy and responsibility, a results-driven environment, close collaboration with an international team, exposure to a wide array of ecosystems and trailblazing technologies, and flexible work hours.

At ChainSafe, we are a compassionate group of builders and makers, working to bring our ideas to life. You’ll be part of a team that believes in the vital importance of community and contributing to advance humanity with open-source and decentralized technology.

We care deeply about our values and look for these in every team member: A dedication to self-improvement and professional development; a commitment to community and collaboration; a drive for accountability, diligence, and autonomy; and above all fostering a place of acceptance, friendliness, and compassion.

Tell us who you are and learn more about us

If you are ready to join us, assemble your highlights (GitHub, portfolio, LinkedIn) and show us your best work. Get ready to have incredible conversations with passionate developers like yourself. For our team’s project highlights, explore our Discord, GitHub, and website.

We welcome your fresh perspectives and ideas

At ChainSafe, diversity and inclusion is more than a statement; equality and accessibility are guiding principles embedded in who we are - and why we do what we do. We recognize the benefits of a diverse team and aspire to embed respect for all people into our culture, values, and day-to-day practices. We encourage women, LGBTQIA+ people, people of colour, and members of any other group underrepresented in the blockchain space (or tech in general) to apply.

ChainSafe is a remote-first company with an international team. We offer opportunities for personal and professional learning and growth, value autonomy and responsibility, and have a results-driven environment, flexible work hours and time-off policy, as well as competitive salary.

To apply for this position, please fill out the linked application form. Please attach your CV/resume as well as a link to your Github/Gitlab profile or some other software project you have contributed to.