Senior Solutions Engineer

About Us 

Chainlink Labs is the primary contributing developer of Chainlink, the decentralized computing platform powering the verifiable web. Chainlink is the industry-standard platform for providing access to real-world data, offchain computation, and secure cross-chain interoperability across any blockchain. Chainlink Labs helps power verifiable applications for banking, DeFi, global trade, and gaming by collaborating with some of the world’s largest financial institutions, notably Swift, DTCC, and ANZ. Chainlink Labs also works with top Web3 teams, including Aave, Compound, GMX, Maker, and Synthetix. Chainlink Labs was ranked in Newsweek’s 100 Most Loved Workplaces 2023 in both the United States and United Kingdom.

About the Role

Chainlink Labs is at the forefront of enabling the verifiable web. As a CCIP Solutions Engineer on our Solutions Architecture team, you will be instrumental in designing, building, and deploying secure and efficient smart contract solutions that leverage or enhance Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP). You will work directly on the on-chain components that allow our users and partners to seamlessly transfer tokens and messages across diverse blockchain networks, unlocking new financial primitives and use cases. This role requires a deep understanding of smart contract development, token mechanics, and the ability to independently drive on-chain projects from conception to deployment.

Your Impact

Your primary focus will be on the design, development, testing, and deployment of robust, secure, and gas-efficient smart contracts that facilitate cross-chain interactions. This includes:

• Designing and Implementing CCIP-Integrated Smart Contracts: You will independently own the development and deployment of custom smart contracts that interact with CCIP, including token pool contracts and other on-chain logic required for specific partner use cases. This involves a deep understanding of token handling (minting, burning, locking, unlocking, wrapping) and ensuring secure asset management.

• Developing Reusable On-Chain Patterns: Create and refine standardised smart contract templates, libraries, and deployment patterns specifically for CCIP use cases to accelerate partner integrations and ensure best practices are followed.

• End-to-End Project Ownership: Independently manage the full lifecycle of small to medium-sized on-chain development tasks, from initial requirements gathering and technical design through to rigorous testing, deployment, and post-deployment support.

• Security and Optimisation: Prioritise smart contract security throughout the development process, implementing best practices, conducting thorough testing, and optimising for gas efficiency. You'll also contribute to defining secure upgrade strategies for deployed contracts.

• Collaboration: Work closely with Solutions Architects, Product Managers, and other Engineering teams to translate partner requirements into robust on-chain solutions. You'll also provide technical guidance to partners on integrating with the smart contracts you build.

• Technical Documentation: Produce clear and comprehensive technical documentation, including deployment guides and integration instructions, for the smart contracts and on-chain systems you develop.

Requirements

• Proven Independent Smart Contract Development: Demonstrable experience of independently designing, building, testing, deploying, and thoroughly understanding small to medium-sized smart contract systems on EVM/SVM-based blockchains. Also, be able to articulate the design choices, trade-offs, and security considerations of projects you've built end-to-end.

• Deep Understanding of Token Handling Mechanisms: Extensive, hands-on experience with various token standards and complex token interactions.

• Experience with Token Pools or Similar Financial Primitives: Verifiable experience in designing, implementing, or significantly contributing to on-chain token pools, liquidity pools, escrow contracts, vault contracts, or similar financial primitives that involve managing and transferring tokenised assets.

• Proficiency in Solidity: Strong and hands-on experience in smart contract development using Solidity and/or Rust, including knowledge of common patterns, security pitfalls, and gas optimisation techniques.

• General Blockchain & EVM Knowledge: Solid understanding of core blockchain concepts, EVM/SVM architecture, transaction lifecycle, and smart contract execution environments.

• Problem-Solving & Autonomy: Ability to independently troubleshoot complex on-chain issues, debug smart contracts, and drive technical tasks to completion with minimal supervision.

• Smart Contract Security Best Practices: Strong understanding of common smart contract vulnerabilities and how to mitigate them.

• Smart Contract Development Tools & Testing Frameworks: Experience with tools like Hardhat, Foundry, Truffle or Anchor for development, testing, and deployment.

• Smart Contract Upgrade Patterns: Familiarity with various smart contract upgradeability patterns 

• Off-Chain Scripting/Interaction: Experience writing scripts (e.g., using Typescript/Javascript with Ethers.js/Web3.js, or GoLang) to interact with and manage smart contracts.

• CI/CD for Smart Contracts: Experience with continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines for smart contracts.

• Understanding of Distributed Systems Principles: A good grasp of concepts relevant to building and interacting with distributed systems.

Preferred Requirements

• Prior experience or deep understanding of Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP).

• Broader experience with other cross-chain communication protocols, bridging technologies, or L2 solutions.

• Experience working with or building components for DeFi protocols

• Familiarity with tools and techniques for monitoring on-chain activity and smart contract events.

• Advanced skills in optimising Solidity code for gas efficiency.

• Public contributions to relevant open-source projects.

All roles with Chainlink Labs are global and remote-based. Unless otherwise stated, we ask that you try to overlap some working hours with Eastern Standard Time (EST).

We carefully review all applications and aim to provide a response to every candidate within two weeks after the job posting closes. The closing date is listed on the job advert, so we encourage you to take the time to thoughtfully prepare your application. We want to fully consider your experience and skills, and you will hear from us regarding the status of your application shortly after the closing date.

Commitment to Equal Opportunity

Chainlink Labs is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, or ordinances. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need when applying for a role or in our recruitment process, please contact us via this form.

Global Data Privacy Notice for Job Candidates and Applicants

Information collected and processed as part of your Chainlink Labs Careers profile, and any job applications you choose to submit is subject to our Privacy Policy. By submitting your application, you are agreeing to our use and processing of your data as required.