Senior Software Engineer

Category Labs (formerly known as Monad Labs) is a team of systems engineers and researchers on a mission to design and build at the frontier of decentralized technology. We strive to design and build step-function improvements over existing blockchain solutions. After raising $225M in series A funding, led by Paradigm, we are growing our team.

The Role

We are hiring a Senior Software Engineer to research, design, and build core improvements to the blockchain protocol. Your work will involve distributed algorithms, cryptography, and consensus mechanisms. You will draw on previous experience in distributed systems or blockchain engineering, and will work as a vital member of a small, high-performing team.

What You Will Do

• You’ll research, design, and build core improvements to the consensus mechanism, gossip protocol, state synchronization algorithm, leader election protocol, etc.

• You’ll devise experiments to test worst-case scenarios, and iterate on your design based on the results

• You’ll design components while taking into account the behavior of other blockchain systems such as rollups, bridges, or staking systems

• You’ll build performant system components from scratch in Rust

Why Work with Us

• Challenging problems. You’ll work on extremely challenging problems with massive impact.

• Huge opportunity. The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) standard is ubiquitous, but existing EVM-compatible chains are very slow. Monad’s core innovations offer developers the best of both worlds (portability and performance) and are a game-changer for mass user adoption in crypto.

• The right team. You’ll be part of a small, exceptional team (engineers and researchers make up 90% of the team).

• Culture. We’re a lean team working together to achieve very ambitious goals. We are united in our culture of collaboration, low ego, and high-quality output. As an early member of our team, you’ll help to shape our culture.

• Compensation. You’ll receive a competitive salary and equity package.

• Resources and growth. We’re well-capitalized, with backing from leading venture funds like Paradigm, Electric Capital, Greenoaks, Dragonfly, and Coinbase Ventures. We keep a lean team, and this is a rare opportunity to join. You’ll learn a lot and grow as our company scales.

Who You Are

• You have at least 5 years of software engineering experience in Rust, C++, or C.

• You have significant experience building performant systems from scratch, such as databases, device drivers, or embedded systems.

• You have excellent instincts for software architecture, memory management, and performance optimization/profiling tools

• You have a Bachelor’s in Computer Science or equivalent

• You value communication and collaboration

Salary and benefits

Minimum full-time salary of $250,000.  (**This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary; a final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience, domain expertise, and geographic location.)

Benefits for US employees include:

• World class benefits package (medical/dental/vision)

• Unlimited paid time off

• 401(k) retirement plan + company match

• Lunch and dinner stipend (in-office NYC)

• Monthly wellness benefit

• Paid parental leave

Benefits for employees hired through an EOR (outside of the US) will be based on EOR offerings and country-specific requirements.