Specialty Software Engineer

Location: Iselin, NJ Salary: $66.00 USD Hourly - $71.00 USD Hourly Description:
Lead Software Engineer - Protocol Engineering (Digital Assets Platform)

We are not accepting C2C or 1099 arrangements.



Location: Iselin, NJ

About the Role

We are building a next-generation Digital Asset Platform focused on enabling institutional-grade transactions with both strict regulatory compliance and strong privacy guarantees.

As a Lead Software Engineer (Protocol Engineer), you will design and build the core settlement engine. You'll work at the intersection of distributed systems and applied cryptography, turning advanced mathematical concepts into scalable, production-grade systems written in Go.
What You'll Do

• Design & Build Core Protocols:
  Architect and develop a custom blockchain application using Go, Cosmos SDK, and CometBFT (Tendermint).
• Implement Cryptography:
  Develop and optimize privacy-preserving primitives including Pedersen Commitments and Bulletproof range proofs without trusted setup.
• Customize Consensus Mechanisms:
  Build custom ABCI++ extensions (e.g., PrepareProposal, Vote Extensions) to support on-chain multi-party computation (MPC) workflows.
• Design State Machines:
  Create and manage state models using encrypted data structures (e.g., elliptic curve-based balances instead of plaintext values).
• Drive Performance & Scalability:
  Optimize cryptographic operations (scalar multiplication, point addition) for low-latency, high-throughput distributed systems.
• Enable Secure Auditing:
  Build off-chain query systems and view key mechanisms to support permissioned regulatory access.
• Collaborate Cross-Functionally:
  Work with engineering, product, and compliance stakeholders to deliver secure, scalable solutions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of software engineering experience (or equivalent experience through work, education, or military service).
• 3+ years of backend or systems programming experience with strong proficiency in Go (Golang).
• Experience with distributed systems, including BFT consensus, P2P networking, and state replication.
• Working knowledge (6+ months) of elliptic curve cryptography (ECC).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Cosmos SDK and CometBFT, including custom module and consensus development.
• Knowledge of:
  • Pedersen Commitments and homomorphic encryption
  • Zero-knowledge proofs (e.g., Bulletproofs, Sigma protocols)
• Ability to translate research papers and cryptographic specifications into production code.
• Experience with multi-party computation (MPC) or verifiable secret sharing (VSS).
• Familiarity with Ristretto255 or libraries such as gnark-crypto.
• Background in financial systems, payments infrastructure, or high-frequency trading.
• Understanding of account-based vs. UTXO-based models in privacy-focused systems.

Why This Role

• Solve foundational challenges: Work on real-world problems at the intersection of privacy and compliance in global finance.
• High-impact engineering: Build systems that secure institutional-scale transactions.
• Technical ownership: Influence architecture, cryptography choices, and system design decisions.

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Contact:
This job and many more are available through The Judge Group. Please apply with us today!