Senior or Staff Network Protocol Engineer

TRM Labs is a blockchain intelligence company committed to fighting crime and creating a safer world. By leveraging blockchain data, threat intelligence, and advanced analytics, our products empower governments, financial institutions, and crypto businesses to combat illicit activity and global security threats. At TRM, you'll join a mission-driven, fast-paced team made up of experts in law enforcement, data science, engineering, and financial intelligence, tackling complex global challenges daily. Whether analyzing blockchain data, developing cutting-edge tools, or collaborating with global organizations, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact.

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 - $221,000.
• Additionally, this role may be eligible to participate in TRM’s equity plan.

Life at TRM Labs

Leadership Principles

Our LPs are foundational elements of our strategy, guiding how we make decisions, how we treat each other, and how we behave day-to-day.

• Impact-Oriented Trailblazer – We put customers first, driving for speed, focus, and adaptability.
• Master Craftsperson – We prioritize speed, high standards, and distributed ownership.
• Inspiring Colleague – We value humility, candor, and a one-team mindset.

Accelerate your Career 

Join a mission-driven team of industry leaders and make a real-world impact—disrupting terrorist networks, recovering stolen funds, and more. At TRM, you will:

• Work alongside top experts and learn every day.
• Embrace a growth mindset with development opportunities tailored to your role.
• Take on high-impact challenges in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Thrive as a Global Team 

As a remote-first company, TRM Labs is built for global collaboration.

• We cultivate a strong remote culture through clear communication, thorough documentation, and meaningful relationships.
• We invest in offsites, regional meetups, virtual coffee chats, and onboarding buddies to foster collaboration.
• By prioritizing trust and belonging, we harness the strengths of a global team while staying aligned with our mission and values.

Join our mission!

We’re looking for team members who thrive in fast-paced, high-impact environments and love building from the ground up. TRM is remote-first, with an exceptionally talented global team. If you enjoy solving tough problems and seeing your work make a difference for billions of people, we want you here. Don’t worry if your experience doesn’t perfectly match a job description— we value passion, problem-solving, and unique career paths. If you’re excited about TRM’s mission, we want to hear from you.

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.

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