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Matter Labs builds private settlement infrastructure for regulated financial institutions using zero-knowledge cryptography. The company's core product, Prividium, enables institutions to settle transactions directly with each other without exposing data or ceding control, addressing a $4 quadrillion annual market currently dependent on legacy systems.
As Protocol Security Engineer, you will be the primary security guardian for ZKsync's most critical components: smart contracts, zero-knowledge circuits, and blockchain nodes. This is a hands-on individual contributor role focused on proactive threat identification and mitigation.
Key responsibilities include:
- Conducting threat modeling and security-focused code reviews of Solidity contracts, Rust-based blockchain state transition functions, and other critical systems before vulnerabilities can be exploited
- Owning the secure architecture and implementation of protocol components from design review through production deployment
- Tracking industry hacks, exploits, and emerging attack vectors, then translating lessons into concrete system improvements
- Embedding secure-design practices across development teams and influencing architecture decisions early without formal authority
- Leveraging modern AI systems to scale security work while accounting for adversarial use of the same tools
- Participating in security investigations and incident response under time pressure with incomplete information
Required qualifications include demonstrated security engineering or research experience (threat modeling, security code review, or vulnerability research on production systems); proficiency in strongly typed languages (C++, Go, Scala, Rust, or Solidity); deep algorithmic and data structure knowledge with implementation experience; protocol-level debugging on distributed systems; working knowledge of recent blockchain security incidents; and fluent English.
Nice-to-have qualifications include hands-on Solidity, ZK circuit, or core blockchain protocol experience; public security research, audit reports, bug-bounty findings, or CTF history.
Matter Labs is a fully remote team of approximately 70 people founded in 2018, backed by a16z and Union Square Ventures, with eight years of production zero-knowledge infrastructure experience.
