Tech Lead Jobs at Category Labs

Category Labs (formerly known as Monad Labs) is a team of systems engineers and researchers on a mission to design and build at the frontier of decentralized technology. We strive to design and build step-function improvements over existing blockchain solutions. After recently raising $225M in series A funding, led by Paradigm, we are growing our team.  The Role We build maximally performant software systems (examples: database, virtual machine, BFT consensus mechanism) from scratch in C++. We are looking for a Staff Software Engineer / Tech Lead who enjoys architecting and implementing such systems. You will have an outsized impact, both through individual contributions to architecture, and by helping the team to perform at its best. You will report to the CTO and contribute directly to architecture and steering of the effort. Although we are building a new blockchain, previous experience with crypto is not expected. What You Will Do

You’ll architect and implement improvements to components of the blockchain, such as the virtual machine, the database, and the consensus mechanism You’ll research experimental improvements You’ll understand the entire system, including the work in progress, in detail You’ll actively review PRs and provide technical mentorship

Who You Are Technical

You have minimally 10 years of experience, at least 3 of which are in a technical lead role You have a proven track record of shipping products You’ve worked on challenging software projects where you had to write a lot of production-ready code You are a hands-on architect and coder, with ability to write clear, concise code You have significant experience in C and C++. Rust is a bonus.

Soft skills

You are willing to take ownership and set direction, especially in gray areas You have excellent judgment and intuition, and are able to make timely and sound decisions You are self-directed, all the while supporting strong team dynamics You have a fastidious attention to detail

Additional Information Target full-time salary of $300,000.  (**This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary; a final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience, domain expertise, and geographic location.)Why Work with Us

Challenging problems. You’ll work on extremely challenging problems with massive impact. Huge opportunity. The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) standard is ubiquitous, but existing EVM-compatible chains are very slow. Monad’s core innovations offer developers the best of both worlds (portability and performance) and are a game-changer for mass user adoption in crypto. The right team. You’ll be part of an exceptional team. Culture. We’re a lean team working together to achieve very ambitious goals. We are united in our culture of collaboration, low egos, and high-quality outputs. As an early member of our team, you’ll help continue to shape our culture. Compensation. You’ll receive a competitive salary and equity package. Resources and growth. We’re well-capitalized, with backing from leading venture funds like Paradigm, Electric Capital, Greenoaks, Dragonfly, and Coinbase Ventures. We keep a lean team, and this is a rare opportunity to join. You’ll learn a lot and grow as our company scales.

Benefits Company benefits for US-based full-time employees include medical, dental, and vision insurance (100% coverage for employees); unlimited and encouraged paid time off; monthly mental health and fitness stipend; paid parental leave; and 10 company-observed holidays.