Software Engineer, Infrastructure

Espresso Systems builds foundational infrastructure to power tomorrow’s internet, where digital assets are able to move across chains as easily as info flows across the web. It’s the lead developer of the Espresso Network, the first base layer built from the ground up to provide rollups with the functionality they’ve always needed but never had: fast, secure finality for users’ transactions and seamless composability with other rollups.

Rollups today rely on infrastructure that wasn’t built with them in mind, resulting in their isolation and the fragmentation of users, developers and liquidity within the Ethereum ecosystem. This prevents rollups from achieving the seamless composability that’s essential to web3's vision. Espresso solves this by providing rollups with secure, real-time visibility into what’s happening on all integrated chains, including their own, empowering the apps to execute crosschain interactions immediately without waiting for slow settlement or trusting centralized sequencers.

The Espresso Network is currently live on mainnet in its initial release. In addition to fast confirmations and data availability, rollups seeking further decentralization can also opt to use the Espresso Network as a decentralized sequencer. As the first purpose-built base layer for rollups, Espresso supports a fast-growing ecosystem of interconnected chains regardless of tech stack, VM, or settlement layer—from established chains like Celo and ApeChain to emerging app-specific chains attracting their first users.

At Espresso Systems, we work with leading teams developing rollups and innovating around interoperability, including Offchain Labs, Polygon, Caldera, AltLayer, Cartesi, Across, Hyperlane, and beyond—all united in our mission to build a unified, composable ecosystem where rollups are free to achieve their full potential regardless of where they choose to settle.

The Espresso team comprises a diverse and passionate group of contributors from around the world. We are developers, designers, and researchers who have contributed in academia, open-source communities, policymaking, and beyond. We have raised roughly $60 million from leading investors in technology and crypto, including a16z, Greylock Partners, Electric Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Polychain Capital.

As a Systems Software Engineer, you will closely collaborate with fellow engineers and product managers to make Espresso a reality. Your focus will be on the transaction processing, communication, consensus, and storage components of the ledger and roll-up systems, while using the cryptography library developed by our cryptography team.

Responsibilities:
• Contribute to the design and implementation of Espresso’s core blockchain infrastructure in Rust
• Take engineering projects from concept and design to production, while working with engineering leaders and the product team to create sound and realistic roadmaps

Requirements:
• B.S. in Computer Science, Mathematics, or relevant field, or equivalent computer science and software engineering experience
• Experience shipping and taking engineering projects to production
• Experience with distributed systems and/or blockchain systems, especially P2P networking and consensus
• Understanding of software engineering and security best practices
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Passion for writing correct code

Preferred:
• Proficiency with Rust in a production environment (or similar strongly-typed languages such as C++, Haskell, Ocaml, etc.)
• Experience working on blockchain infrastructure, e.g. a layer-1 blockchain
• Enthusiasm for the rapidly developing blockchain ecosystem

Benefits:
• Fully remote with flexible hours
• Work alongside the brightest minds in the crypto space
• Competitive salary + equity package
• Regular team off-sites to international locations
• Unlimited vacation policy
• Top-tier health, dental, and vision coverage for US employees