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 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 own everything that makes Arkiv unique: The nodes, the queryable storage layer, the smart contracts, the L2/L3 integration as well as the team that builds it.
This is a hands-on leadership role. You will write code. You will review code. You might be debugging production issues while others sleep - and then making sure it doesn't happen again. You will also shape technical strategy, help evolve the product roadmap, mentor engineers, and help define what the protocol team looks like as we grow.
You collaborate closely with the CTO on technical strategy. You lead a team of 4 engineers today, with plans to grow.
What You'll Own
Here is a summary of the domains you will be responsible for as Head of Protocol:
Domain
Scope
DB Node
Reth-based execution client with a database as queryable storage
Storage Layer
Query optimization, TTL semantics, data pruning, performance
Smart Contracts
Bridge contracts, gas reimbursement, account abstraction
SDK & Developer Tools
TypeScript/Python SDKs, developer experience
Technical Documentation
Protocol specs, API docs, SDK reference
Team
Hiring, mentoring, growing engineers to senior level
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 enjoy the process of figuring things out.
You are hands-on. You've led teams, but you haven't stopped coding. You believe the best technical leaders stay close to the work. You can run a planning meeting, but you're equally comfortable debugging a tricky concurrency bug.
You collaborate well. You're demanding and you have high standards - but you're also approachable, and hopefully humorous. People want to work with you, not just for you. You make the team better by being in it. A hard question about your work tends to spark your curiosity, not your defenses — and you set that same tone for your team.
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 have an inner drive to improve. The current state is never good enough. You're always looking for what's next, what's better, what we're missing.
You communicate clearly. Complex technical concepts, team updates, strategic trade-offs - you can explain them all to different audiences.
You've done this before. You have a track record building and shipping demanding software - ideally open source, ideally blockcain or distributed systems. You've grown engineers. You've been responsible for both the code and the people writing it.
What We Expect
Stay hands-on: This is not a "meetings and roadmaps" role - you ship code
Contribute across the stack: From writing code to helping shape the future of the product
Lead by example: Set the standard for quality, rigor, and collaboration
Mentor and grow: Help engineers reach senior level; give direct, useful feedback
Partner with Platform: Work closely with the platform team who operates what you build - shared ownership of reliability and success
Shape the team: Help define roles, hiring priorities, and team structure as we scale
Technical Requirements
We are looking for a leader with significant hands-on technical depth, as shown in the table below:
Requirement
What We're Looking For
Systems programming
Extensive experience (10+ years typical) building demanding, efficient systems; strong in Rust, with fluency in additional systems languages
Distributed systems
Strong fundamentals - you understand consensus, replication, failure modes, and trade-offs
Performance mindset
Track record of profiling, optimizing, and shipping systems that perform at scale
Database internals
Experience tuning and optimizing databases under load - especially for query performance while constantly writing to the database
Ethereum clients
Experience with reth or other Ethereum execution clients - if you've shipped node code, you'll feel at home here
Leadership
Led and grown a team (3+ engineers); your exact title is secondary - what matters is that you've been responsible for people, not just code
Strong Plus:
Track record in demanding open source projects
Solidity reading proficiency
Contributions to reth or other Ethereum clients
We know this list is demanding - covering all of it is rare. If you're a strong technical leader and most 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
Remote first (must be based within CET +/- 3 timezones)
Competitive salary, commensurate with experience
Arkiv is building infrastructure for a more open internet. If this sounds like you, we'd love to talk.
