[Remote] Protocol Security Engineer

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Matter Labs is hiring a Protocol Security Engineer to protect ZKsync’s smart contracts, ZK circuits, and blockchain nodes. The role owns security reviews, threat modeling, adversary research, secure component architecture, and security investigations and incident response.

Responsibilities

• Break things on purpose. Threat-model and review Solidity contracts, blockchain state transition functions in Rust, and other critical systems before an attacker gets the chance
• Own protocol components. Take responsibility for the secure architecture and implementation of the components you adopt, from design review through production
• Track the adversary. Follow hacks, exploits, and new attack vectors across the industry and convert the lessons into concrete improvements in our systems
• Scale security through others. Embed secure-design practice across development teams and influence architecture decisions early, without formal authority
• Use AI on defense. Apply modern AI systems to scale security work, while accounting for attackers using the same tools
• Respond when it counts. Join security investigations and incident response, often under time pressure with incomplete information

Skills

• A record in security engineering or security research: threat modeling, security-focused code review, or vulnerability research on production systems, with findings you can walk through mechanism by mechanism
• Proficiency in strongly typed languages such as C++, Go, or Scala. Rust and Solidity are our primary languages, and prior experience with them is not required
• Deep grounding in algorithms and data structures, including their computational and memory complexity, with experience implementing them from scratch
• Protocol-level debugging and root-cause analysis on complex distributed systems
• Working knowledge of recent security incidents in the blockchain space and the prevention techniques behind them
• Clear written and spoken English, the company's working language
• Hands-on experience with Solidity smart contracts, ZK circuits, or core blockchain protocols
• Public security research, audit reports, bug-bounty results, or CTF history

Benefits

• Performance-based variable compensation with a defined annual target; the plan may pay in ZK tokens or cash.
• A long-term token incentive paid in ZK tokens, with new-hire grants vesting over four years and a one-year cliff.
• Fully remote work.
• No time tracking (where legally applicable); minimum bureaucracy—only results matter.

Company Overview