Senior or Staff Blockchain Protocol Engineer

Trmlabs

0 of 0

Location

Not specified

Salary

Not specified

Posted

11mo ago

Job Type

Full Time

About the Role

Build a Safer World.

TRM Labs provides blockchain analytics and AI solutions to help law enforcement and national security agencies, financial institutions, and cryptocurrency businesses detect, investigate, and disrupt crypto-related fraud and financial crime. TRM’s blockchain intelligence and AI platforms include solutions to trace the source and destination of funds, identify illicit activity, build cases, and construct an operating picture of threats. TRM is trusted by leading agencies and businesses worldwide who rely on TRM to enable a safer, more secure world for all.

TRM’s Network Intel team is responsible for monitoring the flows of data on blockchain networks. We are looking for a Senior Engineer with a deep understanding of network protocols, infrastructure, systems engineering, distributed systems, and architectural design that will lead projects from research and ideation to feasibility in production. In this role, you will have the opportunity to expand your existing expertise in software engineering and applied research, and ultimately help build a safer financial system for billions of people.

The impact you’ll have here:

Architect and build highly scalable, reliable, and data-heavy distributed systems that will integrate a variety of data sources
Build performant, and reliable production-grade systems, from whiteboard to production
Design and optimize protocol implementations, including consensus algorithms, peer-to-peer networking, and data validation mechanisms
Work across the stack (db, cache, code, deploy) to address technical challenges anywhere in the system
Mentor fellow team members and participate in code reviews and design reviews
Collaborate cross-functionally with data scientists, designers, and product managers to define and implement services.
Create novel approaches to tackling blockchain-specific challenges around scale, security, and privacy.

What we’re looking for:

Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science or related field
Experience building real-time and distributed system architecture, from whiteboard to production
Proficiency in Python or Java; other technologies used on the team include C++, Kafka, gRPC, Elasticsearch, MongoDB, Kubernetes, Docker, and network protocols.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; clear documentation and succinct communication are very important.
Ability to work independently, be proactive, prioritize, communicate, and set and meet goals
Mastery of time management skills and attention to detail
Flexibility in work schedule to coordinate amongst global timezones
Excellent intrapersonal skills to foster relationships with developers
Strong interest in acquiring knowledge in any Blockchain at the protocol level and Networks
Strong interest in protocol development, node engineering, and peer-to-peer networking
Familiarity or interest in p2p networking, libp2p, block propagation, and chain re-org detection strategies

About TRM's Engineering Levels:

Engineer: Responsible for helping to define project milestones and executing small decision decisions independently with the appropriate tradeoffs between simplicity, readability, and performance. Provides mentorship to junior engineers, and enhances operational excellence through tech debt reduction and knowledge sharing.

Senior Engineer: Successfully designs and documents system improvements and features for an OKR/project from the ground up. Consistently delivers efficient and reusable systems, optimizes team throughput with appropriate tradeoffs, mentors team members, and enhances cross-team collaboration through documentation and knowledge sharing.

Staff Engineer: Drives scoping and execution of one or more OKRs/projects that impact multiple teams. Partners with stakeholders to set the team vision and technical roadmaps for one or more products. Is a role model and mentor to the entire engineering organization. Ensures system health and quality with operational reviews, testing strategies, and monitoring rigor.

The following represents the expected range of compensation for this role:

The estimated base salary range for this role is $190,000 - $220,000.
Additionally, this role may be eligible to participate in TRM’s equity plan.

Life at TRM

We are building a safer world. That promise shows up in how we work every day.

TRM runs fast. Really fast. We’re a high‑velocity, high‑ownership team that expects clarity, follow‑through, and impact. People who thrive here are energized by hard problems, experimentation, and direct feedback. If something takes months elsewhere, it often ships here in days.

That pace isn’t for everyone. If you are optimizing primarily for consistent work-life balance, use the interview process to pressure-test fit. We want teammates who thrive here, not just survive here.

AI Fluency at TRM

AI fluency is a baseline expectation at TRM.

We believe AI meaningfully changes how top performers operate. We expect every team member to use AI to accelerate and reimagine their craft, not just automate surface tasks.

At TRM, AI fluency means you are among the top 10 percent of operators in your function in how you apply AI to:

Accelerate repeatable workflows
Structure and solve problems
Improve output quality
Increase speed and leverage

You will be evaluated on applied AI fluency during the interview process.

Leadership Principles

We hire and grow against three leadership principles. They’re the standards for how we operate, treat each other, and make decisions.

Impact-Oriented Trailblazer: We put customers first and move with speed, focus, and adaptability. We treat every plan like an experiment – test, ship, measure, and iterate quickly.
Master Craftsperson: We care deeply about our craft. We balance speed with high standards, own outcomes end‑to‑end, and invest in getting better everyday.
Inspiring Colleague: We add clarity and energy, not noise. We bring humility, candor, and a one‑team mindset — giving and receiving feedback to make the team stronger.

Learn more: Interviewing at TRM: How We Hire and What Success Looks Like

The impact you will have

This work has real stakes. Depending on your role at TRM, your week might look like:

Driving critical investigations that can’t wait for typical business hours.
Shipping products in days when others would schedule quarters.
Partnering with teams across time zones to deliver insights while the story is still unfolding.
Building new solutions from first principles when the playbook doesn’t yet exist.
Protecting victims and customers by tracing illicit activity and disrupting criminal networks.

Join our Mission

At TRM we care deeply about our craft. We are looking for individuals who want their work to matter, who experiment with speed and rigor, and who take pride in building a safer world for billions of people. If you’re excited by TRM’s mission but don’t check every box, we encourage you to apply — we hire for slope, judgment, and the will to learn fast.

TRM is a Series C company with $220M in total funding, backed by Blockchain Capital, Goldman Sachs, Bessemer, Y Combinator, Thoma Bravo, and others. Headquartered in San Francisco, TRM operates as a distributed-first company with hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C., London, and Singapore.

Recruitment agencies

TRM Labs does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to TRM employees. TRM Labs is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes and will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company without a signed agreement.

Privacy Policy and Additional Information

By submitting your application, you are agreeing to allow TRM to process your personal information in accordance with the TRM Privacy Policy.

Our typical hiring cycles for specialized roles span 24 to 36 months. Accordingly, we retain your personal information for up to 36 months to evaluate your application and to consider you for current and future employment opportunities, unless you request earlier deletion or a different retention period is required or permitted by law.

To notify TRM Labs that you believe this job posting is non-compliant, please submit a report through this form. No response will be provided to inquiries unrelated to job posting compliance.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this form.

Learn More: Company Values | Interviewing | FAQs