Core Protocol Engineer

About the role

Core Protocol Engineer, AI Execution Layer

Ritual is constructing a sovereign execution environment tailored for artificial intelligence workloads. The initiative operates a private testnet that is currently active. The chain represents the first blockchain purpose-built to natively support AI-centric operations. It was designed from inception to enable a new category of applications at the convergence of decentralized systems and machine intelligence. Our initial offering, Infernet, serves as a practical bridge, enabling developers to interact with AI models both on-chain through smart contracts and off-chain.

We are seeking a Core Protocol Engineer to join this effort. The position focuses on advancing the execution layer to accommodate next-generation computational demands. The successful candidate will extend clients, introduce novel precompiles, and architect systems for heterogeneous compute orchestration. This role requires deep protocol expertise and a commitment to shaping the future of on-chain intelligence.

Responsibilities

The scope of this role spans research, implementation, and production support across several critical domains. You will design and implement extensions for execution clients, specifically Geth and Reth, to accommodate stateful precompiles required for advanced computation. This work involves implementing novel mechanism design primitives in collaboration with our research team, ensuring secure integration into the execution layer.

You will develop and optimize transaction processing pipelines to efficiently manage heterogeneous workloads distributed across nodes. A key technical challenge involves researching and implementing solutions for state access conflicts that arise under high concurrency. You will also contribute to core protocol development and the implementation of Ethereum Improvement Proposals, driving forward core functionality and reliability.

Collaboration with research teams is central to the role. You will work closely with researchers to refine protocol specifications and enhance mechanism design. Constructing robust testing frameworks forms another pillar of the position, ensuring that execution client modifications are validated before mainnet deployment. You will also audit cross-chain interoperability patterns to verify secure bridging and data availability assumptions.

Qualifications

Candidates must possess an intricate understanding of EVM internals and execution clients, including Geth and Reth. Hands-on experience implementing and optimizing precompiles for complex computational logic is essential. Proficiency in Go or Rust for systems programming, combined with strong Solidity skills, is required.

A thorough knowledge of Ethereum's evolving roadmap is mandatory, along with active participation in protocol discussions. Experience with parallel execution patterns within blockchain architectures is expected. A strong grasp of consensus mechanisms and overall blockchain architecture is necessary. You must have the capacity to read, understand, and implement EIPs and associated protocol specifications. You must also have a proven track record of delivering blockchain systems that meet production standards.

The ability to act swiftly in high-pressure scenarios while managing frequent context shifts is vital. Ownership of end-to-end responsibilities must be coupled with excellent communication skills and high self-direction. Thriving as a high-energy individual who meets aggressive deadlines in a fast-paced setting is expected.

Preferred Qualifications

While not mandatory, familiarity with mempool dynamics, transaction ordering, and the mev-boost implementation is valuable. A background in mechanism design or market systems provides a distinct advantage. Deep knowledge of proof systems and their associated trade-offs, including prover time, verifier time, and proof size, is beneficial.

Experience optimizing proof generation and verification pipelines is noted. Previous work with cross-chain bridges or interoperability protocols is advantageous. Contributions to Ethereum client codebases demonstrate a commitment to the ecosystem. A background in distributed systems and concurrent programming further strengthens a candidate's profile.

Compensation and Benefits

This role offers a competitive compensation package. The position operates under full-time engagement with remote flexibility. Benefits include top-tier coverage within the web3 sector, aggressive retirement plan matching, and comprehensive healthcare coverage.

What you'll do

• Meet the bar Practical notes