Remote first (must be based within CET +/- 3 timezones) | Full-time
About Arkiv
Blockchain data is hard to use. Developers store data on-chain, then immediately need indexers, subgraphs, and custom infrastructure just to query it back. We think that's broken.
Arkiv is fixing it at the protocol layer - a blockchain with queryable storage built in. SQL-like queries against on-chain data, no external indexing required. It's a different architecture, and it doesn't exist anywhere else yet.
We're a small, focused team preparing for mainnet launch. If you want to build foundational infrastructure that changes how developers interact with blockchain data, this is the moment.
The Role
You will work on the core technology that makes Arkiv unique: the reth-based execution client, the queryable storage layer, and the smart contracts that power the network.
This is a hands-on technical role. You will write code daily. You will debug hard problems. You will own significant pieces of the architecture.
You'll work closely with the Head of Protocol and CTO, and collaborate with a small team of engineers who care deeply about building systems that work.
What You'll Own
DB Node Development — reth-based execution client with database as queryable storage
Storage Layer — query optimization, TTL semantics, data pruning, performance tuning
Smart Contracts — bridge contracts, gas reimbursement, account abstraction (depending on focus)
Testing & Quality — unit tests, integration tests, performance engineering
Technical Documentation — protocol specs, API docs for features you build
Code Review — maintain quality bar across protocol codebase
Who You Are
Character and drive matter more than your CV.
You are genuinely curious. You need to understand how things actually work — not just well enough to ship, but well enough to explain to others and improve upon. You read source code like other people read crime novels.
You are hands-on. You write code. You debug. You profile. You don't wait for someone to hand you a spec — you dig in and figure out what needs to be built.
You have high standards. Code quality, test coverage, documentation — you care about the details. You push back on shortcuts that create tech debt.
You collaborate well. You're direct and respectful. You help teammates when they're stuck — and you're not too proud to ask for help yourself. A hard question about your work tends to spark your curiosity, not your defenses.
You see beyond your lane. When something is broken or could be better, you notice — even if it's not strictly your responsibility. You raise it, and often you help fix it.
You're ready to grow. You want to become the deepest technical expert you can be — you're not standing still.
What We Expect
Ship code: Move fast, ship quality — we don't trade one for the other
Go deep: Understand the node internals, the storage layer, the blockchain fundamentals
Own quality: Your code works, it's tested, it's documented
Collaborate: Work effectively with Protocol and Platform teams
Communicate: Explain complex technical concepts clearly — in PRs, docs, and discussions
Step up: When the Lead is unavailable or as the team grows, be ready to take on more responsibility
Technical Requirements
Rust — strong proficiency in Rust (production experience); comfortable with ownership, lifetimes, async, and zero-cost abstractions; fluent in additional systems languages a plus
Data structures & algorithms — strong foundation in data structures and algorithms, applied to high-performance applications; you reason about complexity, memory layout, and throughput, not just correctness
Systems programming — experience building demanding, efficient systems; comfortable with concurrency, memory management, performance profiling and tuning
Database systems — ideally experience designing database systems, or systems with close requirements (storage engines, query engines, high-throughput data infrastructure); familiarity with internals like RocksDB, MDBX, or similar a plus
Blockchain fundamentals — understanding of how blockchains work (consensus, execution, state management); prior work on nodes/clients is a strong plus
Testing mindset — you write tests; they make you faster and let you refactor with confidence
Strong Plus:
Contributions to reth or other Ethereum clients
Designing or building database/storage systems from the ground up
Open source contributions in relevant projects
Solidity reading proficiency
We know this list is demanding. If you're a strong systems engineer and the majority of these requirements resonate, we encourage you to apply.
How We Work
Ownership: See a problem, own it - follow through or escalate.
Direct feedback: We challenge ideas openly and say what we mean.
Ship fast, learn faster: Simple solutions, quick iterations, mistakes are data.
Stay close to users: Decisions grounded in real signals from customers and the larger Web3 community, not assumptions.
Location & Compensation
Arkiv is building infrastructure for a more open internet. If this sounds like you, we'd love to talk.
