Core Protocol Engineer

About Ritual

Ritual is building a sovereign, execution layer for AI, with our private testnet already live and running. The Ritual chain is the first blockchain custom-built to support AI-native operations, designed from the ground up to enable a new class of applications at the intersection of crypto and AI. Our first product, Infernet, is pioneering new ground as the first solution to enable developers to access AI models both on-chain via smart contracts and off-chain, demonstrating our commitment to bridging these transformative technologies.

About the role

We're seeking a Core Protocol Engineer with deep expertise with Ethereum execution clients to help us extend the EVM for next-generation compute capabilities. You'll work on expanding the execution layer to support novel precompiles, implement parallel execution patterns, and design systems for heterogeneous compute orchestration.

Design and implement extensions to EVM clients (Geth/Reth) for supporting stateful precompiles

Implement novel mechanism design primitives, collaborating with our research team, into the execution layer

Develop and optimize transaction processing pipelines for heterogeneous workloads

Research and implement solutions for state access conflicts

Contribute to core protocol development and EIP implementations

Collaborate with the research team on protocol specifications and mechanism design improvements

Design and implement robust testing frameworks for execution client modifications

About you

Deep understanding of EVM internals and Ethereum execution clients (Geth/Reth)

Strong experience implementing and optimizing precompiles

Expertise in Go and/or Rust for systems programming, and Solidity

Thorough knowledge of Ethereum's roadmap and active participation in protocol discussions

Experience with parallel execution patterns in blockchain systems

Strong understanding of consensus mechanisms and blockchain architecture

Ability to read, understand, and implement EIPs and protocol specifications

Proven track record of shipping production-grade blockchain systems

Ability to act quickly under high pressure scenarios and context switch at a high frequency

A high level of end-to-end ownership and self-direction, with excellent communication skills

Hungry, high-energy and ability to work within and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment

Nice to have

Knowledge of mempool dynamics, transaction ordering and the mev-boost implementation

Background in mechanism design or market systems

Deep knowledge of proof systems and their trade-offs around prover time, verifier time, and proof size

Experience optimizing proof generation and verification pipelines

Experience with cross-chain bridges or interoperability protocols

Contributions to Ethereum client codebases

Background in distributed systems and concurrent programming

Why join us

Join a passionate group of engineers, researchers, and operators on a mission to build the next generation of AI infrastructure

Highly competitive compensation package, including annual discretionary bonus & optimized tax structure compared to the vast majority of web3 startups

Top 1% of benefits across the web3 startup space

100% of premiums covered on highest quality healthcare

Aggressive company 401k match

Fully remote and/or hybrid, up to you!

Participate in virtual and in-person events

Much much more!