Founding Protocol Engineer - Prover Network

Prover Network is developing the infrastructure necessary to meet the increasing demands for proof generation, due to the increasing popularity of zero-knowledge proofs. While proof generation is time‑consuming for end users, leading to a bad user experience, proof generation for industrial provers requires them to deploy power‑hungry and partially utilized GPUs, leading to the challenging task of making the proof generation business economical. Prover Network aims to solve the problem by creating a platform for easy delegation of the proving task. Prover Network will build a specialized zkVM optimized not only for fast parallel proving, but also for privacy‑preserving delegation. Furthermore, it will build a platform around it for seamless delegation of proving computation and for fast proving. We are seeking a seasoned Protocol Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will be responsible for the design and implementation of core components of Prover Network, including highly optimized communication between the clients and GPUs and the consensus protocol. You will collaborate closely on the design with Dr. Rao and lead the implementation, while building out the necessary team. As an early team member, you will help shape not only the protocol, but also who we are at Prover Network. You will set a technical standard for Prover Network and eventually be one of the core contributors of how verifiable delegation of computation is executed in the world. You will have the freedom and autonomy to shape the direction of our culture and platform, contributing your ideas and expertise to drive its evolution. You will be challenged with complex problem‑solving in a rapidly evolving problem space, allowing you to expand your skill set and grow alongside the company. Responsibilities Design and implement core components of Prover Network. Develop highly optimized communication between clients and GPUs. Implement the consensus protocol. Collaborate with Dr. Rao and lead implementation efforts. Build out and lead a team. Shape the protocol and platform direction. Drive innovation in verifiable delegation of computation. Qualifications Deep familiarity with protocol engineering aspects Expertise in Rust (~4 years), including a high comfort level with advanced concepts such as generics, lifetimes, memory management, concurrency, etc Familiarity with advanced benchmarking and testing frameworks (e.g., prop‑testing, fuzzing) Experience working independently on open‑ended problems A strong sense of responsibility and comfort with autonomous work Nice‑To‑Have Interest in zero‑knowledge proof‑based blockchain systems Experience writing smart contracts Familiarity with the fundamentals of cryptography, such as hash functions and finite fields A passion for open‑source software and an eagerness to learn A strong interest in privacy Benefits Competitive salary and equity as an early member of our team Full benefits package, including healthcare coverage and more to come Stipend for learning and professional development Opportunity to work with a driven, talented, dedicated team that values collaboration, innovation, and making a strong positive impact Culture built upon mutual respect, empathy, learning, and growth #J-18808-Ljbffr deCircle