Blockchain Engineer

Are you excited by the opportunity to become a part of a badass team leading the AI-first data revolution?

Do you thrive on solving hard problems (individually and collectively), yet humble and hungry to learn and grow within a team on your path to greatness?

Do you desire to become a part of a close-knit pack led by SV startup veterans who can accelerate your growth 10X (compared to the corporate trajectory/culture)?

If you’ve answered with 3 resounding "yes", then we want to meet you!

CEF is building a decentralised AI and data infrastructure platform, with Cere Network forming the core Web3 data and blockchain backbone of the CEF ecosystem.

We are looking for an experienced engineer who is motivated by solving hard technical problems and contributing to long-term infrastructure, rather than short-term hype.

We are seeking a Lead Blockchain Engineer with strong experience in designing, developing, and operating Layer 1 (L1) blockchain systems. In this role, you will work on the Cere protocol, which underpins CEF’s decentralised data and compute architecture. You will be responsible for evolving the core protocol, maintaining production networks, and improving the surrounding ecosystem tooling, as part of our work on autonomous and sovereign data computing.

Tasks

• Architect Core Protocol: Continuously upgrade the Cere Protocol L1 blockchain using Rust and Substrate, creating custom pallets to power Decentralized Data Clusters (DDC).
• Engineer Trust: Implement Proof-of-Compute (Data activity capture) to automate verification and payments for every computation on-chain.
• Design Privacy Infrastructure: Develop Zero-Knowledge primitives and the EDEK system to for client-side data sovereignty.
• Manage Governance: Maintain and upgrade the OpenGov framework powering on-chain democracy.
• Ensure Security: execute rigorous internal audits of smart contracts and protocol upgrades.

Requirements

General

• Rust: 7+ years of engineering experience with deep expertise in Rust and the Substrate framework.
• Crypto Depth: Strong grasp of applied cryptography, specifically hashing, signatures, and ZK proofs.
• Distributed Systems: Proven experience in architecting scalable distributed systems and consensus algorithms.
• Governance Knowledge: Technical familiarity with on-chain governance models (e.g., Polkadot/OpenGov).

Blockchain Operations

• Hands-on experience in developing or modifying blockchain protocols / core components and utilities, as well as working closely with ecosystem/communities participants to improve the above.
• Practical experience with deployment of DDC nodes (testnet and mainnet)
• Experience in node setup, configuration, and maintenance, including: configuration management, version upgrades, key management, working with logs and metrics, monitoring systems. Strong experience with: Linux Docker / Docker Compose (Kubernetes is a plus)

Nice to have

• Education: BS/MS in Computer Science or equivalent high-impact Web3 experience.
• Experience with Substrate (FRAME, runtime development, or pallet design) is a strong plus.

Benefits

• Real Equity & Fair Pay: We believe in true partnership. You will get a competitive salary and meaningful equity so your personal upside is tied directly to the company's success.
• Ownership, Not Just Tasks: You won't be lost in a big machine here. You will take full ownership of your projects and help define the future of our Web3 stack.
• Direct Access to Leadership: You are part of the core conversation. You will work side by side with the CEO and founders every day to solve hard problems and set the strategy.
• Inventing the Future: We are building the infrastructure for autonomous AI agents that doesn't exist yet. This is the place for you if you want to do original work instead of maintaining legacy systems.
• Builders Decide: We hate red tape as much as you do. We stay lean and let the people building the product make the decisions that drive the roadmap.
• Remote with Connection: We are remote first but value real face time. We meet monthly in SF and Europe to build momentum together because we know results matter more than counting hours.

Our Hiring Process

We move fast, stay transparent, and focus on real collaboration. Here’s what the process looks like:

1. Intro Call – A quick chat to align on expectations, interests, and team fit.
2. Technical Deep Dive – A focused conversation with our Engineering Manager to explore your technical thinking and past work.
3. CEO Interview – A strategic discussion around vision, mindset, and long-term alignment.
4. Reference Collection – We’ll speak with a few people you’ve worked closely with.
5. Paid Trial (~5 Days) – A short, real-world engagement so we can see how we work together — happening in parallel with offer and terms discussion.

Please note:

• As a startup, you can expect a fast-paced environment where extreme ownership is required.
• If you are seeking a traditional corporate 9-to-5 role, this may not be the right fit.

"It's not 10,000 hours, it's 10,000 iterations”; “Work like a lion” - Naval Ravikant

CEF is an inference platform for sovereign AI agents. We unify orchestration, data, and infrastructure into a single platform optimized for real-time compute — running across cloud, hybrid, and edge environments with per-tenant encrypted data vaults and full lineage.