Software Engineer- Zero Knowledge (ZK)

About Nexus 

Nexus is building a world supercomputer by leveraging the latest advancements in AI, cryptography, engineering, and science. Our team of world-leading experts is developing and deploying the Nexus Layer 1 blockchain and Nexus zkVM (zero-knowledge virtual machine) in support of our mission to enable the Verifiable Internet.

Nexus raised $25M in Series A funding from Lightspeed, Pantera, Dragonfly, SV Angel, and more.

We are headquartered in San Francisco, and this role will be in-person with the rest of the Nexus team.

We're looking for a highly skilled Senior Software Engineer focused to join our team and play a critical role in pushing the boundaries of privacy and scalability within our decentralized platform by designing, developing, and optimizing zero-knowledge proof systems. Your expertise in Rust will be instrumental in building efficient and secure solutions that contribute significantly to the advancement of Nexus and shape the future of computation.

• Design, develop, and implement efficient zk-proof protocols and systems

• Conduct research and analysis of emerging zk-proof techniques and algorithms

• Develop and maintain libraries and tools for zk-proof generation, verification, and integration within the platform

• Optimize the performance and efficiency of zk-proof implementations, ensuring minimal resource consumption and low latency

• 5+ years of professional engineering experience with a focus on cryptography 

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related technical field

• Deep technical understanding of Rust, including knowledge of ownership, memory management, and concurrency

• Experience with common Rust libraries and frameworks for building high-performance systems

• Proven ability to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills

• Ability to navigate ambiguity and make strategic decisions

• Embrace AI as a core part of how you work, think, and build.

• Advanced degree in a technical field

• Experience with programming competitions and/or participation in the International Olympiad of Mathematics, International Math Olympiad, International Physics Olympiad, etc.

• Entrepreneurial spirit with an interest in spearheading new projects

• Experience with zero-knowledge proofs and zkVM concepts

• Contribution to open-source projects related to distributed systems or Rust programming

• Competitive salary and generous equity compensation

• Health insurance for employees and their dependents

• Daily lunch and dinner provided at SF headquarters

• Company-paid travel to events and conferences

 Nexus is committed to diversity in our workforce and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO).