Job Description

Who We Are

P2P networks form the backbone of decentralized technologies, and libp2p has rapidly emerged as the go-to stack for P2P applications. Our team, the Vac P2P R&D service unit, has effectively implemented and deployed a comprehensive libp2p stack, which powers both the Nimbus Ethereum 2 client and Waku. Our implementation is crafted using Nim, a programming language that prioritizes efficiency, expressiveness, and elegance. In addition to developing nim-libp2p, we engage in applied P2P research and participate actively in the libp2p specification process.

The Role:

As the Lead P2P Engineer, you will lead a dedicated team focused on enhancing the nim-libp2p project and conducting research related to libp2p. Your role will involve fostering a collaborative and inventive environment that encourages knowledge exchange and professional growth. You will manage the project's lifecycle, ensuring that milestones are met on time while actively engaging in the libp2p community through discussions and events.

Your research efforts will propel advancements in libp2p, resulting in practical implementations that contribute to specifications, ensuring their accessibility and usability. You will work with IFT project teams to gather requirements, aligning project objectives with the broader organization’s mission. A comprehensive understanding of the entire codebase will enable you to efficiently handle ad-hoc tasks, allowing you to be a resource for your team so they can concentrate on their primary duties.

You will implement libp2p protocols in accordance with existing specifications and contribute to the architectural and developmental progress of the nim-libp2p implementation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and guide a small team of P2P engineers, nurturing an environment of collaboration and innovation.
• Facilitate the sharing of knowledge and the development of skills among team members.
• Oversee the nim-libp2p project lifecycle, ensuring the timely delivery of milestones.
• Engage actively with the libp2p community, participating in discussions and events.
• Conduct research to explore advancements in libp2p.
• Develop practical implementations of research outputs and contribute to libp2p specifications, ensuring accessibility and usability.
• Collaborate with IFT project teams to gather requirements and ensure alignment with project goals.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the full codebase to address and resolve ad-hoc tasks and issues efficiently.
• Serve as a resource for the team by addressing urgent or unforeseen technical challenges.
• Implement libp2p protocols as per existing specifications.
• Advance the architecture and development of the nim-libp2p implementation.

You Will Ideally Have:

• A passion for decentralization, P2P, and privacy-preserving technology.
• Strong leadership capabilities to mentor and guide a team, promoting collaboration and productivity.
• Experience in managing projects, including planning, execution, and stakeholder communication.
• Ability to handle team dynamics and effectively resolve conflicts.
• Excellent communication skills for engaging with team members, stakeholders, and the broader community.
• Adaptability to changing project requirements and priorities.
• A strong engineering background.
• Deep knowledge of peer-to-peer networking protocols.
• Experience with low-level, strongly-typed languages (C/C++/Go/Rust or Java/C#).
• Expertise in building networking-intensive applications, specifically in P2P networking.
• Experience implementing core networking protocols like Websockets and/or Quic.
• Familiarity with P2P building blocks such as gossip protocols, routing, discovery (DHTs), and NAT traversal.
• Knowledge of security protocols and practices to safeguard P2P networks and protect data.
• A strong alignment with our mission.

Bonus Points

• Experience working remotely.
• Experience with open source organizations.
• Previous experience with libp2p, ideally as a direct contributor to the codebase or specifications.
• Experience with other off-the-shelf networking stacks such as devp2p.
• Experience with the Nim programming language.

We encourage you to apply, even if you don’t meet all of these criteria. If you believe this role is a great fit for you, please explain your suitability in your cover letter.

Interview Process

• Interview with our POps team.
• Interview with a member of an IFT BU using nim-libp2p.
• Pair programming interview with a member of an IFT BU using nim-libp2p.
• Interview with Vac team lead.

Compensation

The expected compensation range for this role is negotiable, depending on our assessment of your skills and experience during the interview process. We are open to paying in any combination of fiat or cryptocurrency.