Senior Protocol Engineer

At o1Labs, our mission is to catalyze a new generation of applications powered by zero-knowledge cryptography. We are looking for a talented and motivated senior Protocol engineer specializing in Rust, to join the Rust Node Engineering team, with strong potential to grow into a technical leadership role. This is a chance to join a small, collaborative team and have a ton of independence while working on fascinating, inter-disciplinary problems at the heart of Mina Protocol.The RoleYou'll be a core contributor to Mina's Rust Node implementation, building and maintaining the critical infrastructure that powers the world's lightest blockchain. Your mission is to ensure Mina Rust Nodes are performant, reliable, and capable of scaling while maintaining our commitment to keeping the blockchain size constant and enabling broad participation.You Will:- Build & maintain core node functionality. Develop and optimize critical components of the Mina Rust Node implementation, including networking, consensus, transaction processing, and blockchain state management.- Architect scalable systems. Design and implement robust, high-performance systems that can handle increasing network load while maintaining Mina's unique properties as a succinct blockchain.- Drive consensus protocol improvements. Work on cutting-edge consensus mechanisms, block production, and validation systems that leverage zero-knowledge proofs for unprecedented efficiency.- Optimize performance. Profile, benchmark, and optimize node performance across different deployment scenarios, from resource-constrained environments to high-throughput validators.- Enhance network protocols. Improve peer-to-peer networking, gossip protocols, and data synchronization to ensure robust network health and fast propagation.- Shape technical direction. As you grow into a technical leadership role, guide architectural decisions, mentor team members, and drive consensus on complex technical challenges.- Collaborate across teams. Work closely