Cryptography Researcher

We are seeking a researcher with a PhD (or nearing completion) to join the cryptography and privacy team within Flashbots Research.

We would like to meet you if you have experience doing research on topics including:

• Multi-Party Computation (MPC)
• Trusted execution environments (TEEs)
• Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE)
• Zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs
• Operating Systems (OS) and CPU architectures
• Security of distributed/decentralized systems
• Multi/threshold-signature schemes

What to Expect in the Role:

• You will be supported to identify interesting research problems, work toward solutions alone or with collaborators, and publish your findings in industry and academic venues
• You will experience maximum autonomy, allowing you to claim ownership of research areas, set goals, and deadlines without needing constant supervision
• You will be expected to make your voice heard and navigate the organization to gather information or make decisions as needed
• You will establish and maintain academic collaborations to broaden our research horizons

What You’ll need:

• A PhD (or nearing completion) with work in a relevant area
• Excellent communication skills: You will need to communicate asynchronously within the team, as well as present your work externally and to other members of the organization
• Experience in a startup environment and working with cross-functional teams
• The ability to write technical reports and publish research findings
• Knowledge of common Web3 tech stacks, such as Ethereum
• Our team operates in a fully remote environment, so you should be comfortable with that setup and effective in communicating asynchronously
• Ability to dissect and understand cryptographic protocols from theoretical descriptions
• Experience identifying interesting research problems, completing research projects, and presenting results formally verbally and in writing

Nice to have:

• Proficiency in software development, particularly in Python and Rust
• Experience in security analysis, designing security and privacy attacks
• Experience in remote-first environments, focusing on open, honest, and transparent communication
• Exposure to the Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) problem space

Details that matter

• Significantly above market rate equity compensation package
• Unlimited PTO with a high level of freedom and autonomy for your work
• Attractive health coverage package for US employees
• $3000 Yearly budget for your individual learning and development goals
• Work alongside the brightest minds in the crypto space
• Help save the world by ensuring crypto remains decentralized, permissionless and censorship-resistant
• Remote working - work from anywhere in the world
• Paid travel - 2 x team on-sites in different parts of the world per year plus periodic travel to events

At Flashbots, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, or disability status.