Senior Distributed Systems Engineer

Job Description

If you enjoy solving challenging technical problems, having an impact on a fast-paced remotely managed engineering team and like being surrounded by inspiring co-workers, then keep reading!

We are bringing to life fast, trust-less, decentralised computation. The Nillion team are looking for talented software engineers to build a new paradigm in decentralised computing with the aim of redefining network computation on private data. We build using open source platforms, technologies and tools, including LINUX, Terraform, Rust, BASH and others.

As a Distributed Systems Engineer at Nillion you will play a key role in the design, architecture, development, configuration, testing, deployment, and ongoing maintenance of the Nillion NMC Network and Protocol. This includes working on client software, the networking stack, distributed storage, decentralised compute, secure system evaluation and logging and more. You will be responsible for leading key initiatives and projects while also supporting other members of the team across all areas of the platform development.

We work in an environment where tangibility and flexibility are key attributes that help us innovate. Our engineering team embodies those qualities, bringing clarity and direction to help move new ideas forward. If you enjoy keeping up to speed on current technological trends, and have an interest in crypto and security – get in touch!

We are a remote-first organisation looking to build an engineering team primarily focused on European and US East Coast time zones. Some travel may be required, but only occasionally.

Requirements

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• 5+ years of professional software development experience
• 4+ years of programming experience with at least one modern language such as Java, C++, C#, Go or Rust
• 3+ years of experience contributing to the architecture and design (architecture, design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and current distributed systems
• Experience building and operating fault-tolerant distributed systems at scale

“Nice to Have” Requirements:

• Experience working with distributed cryptographic systems including, but not limited to blockchain architectures
• Knowledge and experience in the design and development of domain specific languages and compilers
• Qualified to at least an M’Sc degree in mathematics, computer science, software engineering, cybersecurity or a related field. A PhD or Postdoc in any of the related fields is a bonus
• Experience designing and developing projects in one or more of the existing Blockchain Technologies – Hyperledger Fabric, Solana, PolkaDot, Ethereum, etc
• Experience with Terraform for infrastructure-as-code
• Knowledge and understanding of cryptocurrency markets, ecosystem and ethos
• Experience in financial markets / software / DeFi
• Knowledge and experience in the design and development of distributed cryptographic principles and protocols (e.g. ZKP or SMPC)
• Experience building and operating online services and fault-tolerant distributed systems at scale

Engineering Culture and Perks:

We expect technical members of the Nillion team to have or be the following:

• Comfortable with a fast-paced startup environment
• Ability to manage multiple priorities
• Have excellent troubleshooting skills with the ability find and integrate knowledge quickly
• Excellent work ethic with the ability to work independently and with a bias towards action
• Be incredibly technically curious about how things work or how to do things a better way
• Good at providing valuable feedback on architecture or code reviews with team members
• Ability to work with a cross-functional and globally distributed team
• Good at coaching and being coached
• Macro-to-micro versatility: strategic mindset coupled with a keen attention to detail
• Great at providing simple and extensible abstractions to complex systems

Benefits

We offer the following perks as part of employment with Nillion:

• Flexible working hours to accommodate lifestyles and a globally distributed team
• Competitive Salary and Token Compensation; acquire Nil tokens as part of your bonus
• Make a big impact as a early contributor to an incredible founding team
• Work on new problems in an incredible emerging and dynamic field
• Learn from systems engineering, cryptography, and finance domain experts in a mentorship-oriented work culture
• You don’t need to be in an office or at a desk to have an impact anymore! We are fully remote, but value regular meet-ups.

If this sounds like it could be a good fit and you’d like to find out more, hit apply below and submit your CV! If you don’t have a CV to hand, you can always download your LinkedIn profile and use that (click “More…” on your LinkedIn profile then “Save to PDF” 💡).

Nillion is committed to shaping a better world in all that we do. Our global team is built based on respect, inclusivity, diversity and excellence.