Smart Contract Engineer (web3)

About CoW Protocol 

CoW DAO is on a mission to protect Ethereum users from the dangers of DeFi. It does this by supporting the development of CoW Protocol, CoW Swap, MEV Blocker, and CoW AMM, and by funding values-aligned projects through the CoW Grants Program. 

CoW Protocol is the second-largest DEX aggregator by monthly volume and the first-largest intents-based exchange. MEV Blocker is currently involved in ~4% of all Ethereum transactions, making it the category leader. CoW AMM is the only live AMM that protects LPs from LVR (loss-versus rebalancing). 

As a member of CoW DAO’s core team, you will have the opportunity to shape these essential products, and contribute to the Ethereum ecosystem more broadly.

About the role

Location: We are a fully remote team, and although we hire almost globally, there is a preference for this role to be based in Europe or remote +/- 4 hours CEST time

Please note we’re not hiring from the US, Australia, or New Zealand

We’re on the lookout for a Smart Contract Engineer to join our team. If you’re passionate about blockchain tech, love solving complex problems, and thrive on ownership, we’d love to hear from you. We’ve got a packed roadmap full of exciting projects, and we’re all about building innovative, solid, and high-performance solutions as we grow

What you will do

• Build new features: work on new CoW Protocol features by developing new smart contracts and laying out support for them in our off-chain infrastructure

• Review protocol integrations: advise third parties on how to work with CoW Protocol, write grant proposals and support grantees in their execution

• Foster decentralization: contribute to designing the next version of CoW Protocol, in the spirit of removing central authorities and building trust through verifiable execution

• Contribute to the upkeep of the protocol: investigate suspicious transactions, detect on-chain misbehavior, support CoW DAO governance by participating in the discussion through its formal proposal process (CIPs)

• Maintainable code: collaborative coding through code review, internal feature discussion, full testing coverage, CI, public development process on GitHub

• Collaborating with a remote team, sharing feedback, and debugging

Tech stack you'll be in contact with

• Smart contracts: Solidity, Foundry, rarely Hardhat

• Back-end contract services: Rust, Kubernetes

• Debugging and alerting: Tenderly, Grafana, Elasticsearch

• Data analysis: Python, Dune Analytics

• Governance: Safe Multisig, Snapshot

• Communication: GitHub, Slack, Notion, Zoom, Google Docs

• Supported chains: Ethreum, Arbitrum, Gnosis Chain, Base

Who you are

• Has solid Solidity expertise – with experience working on EVM-compatible chains

• Is skilled in Rust or Python – Rust is preferred, but Python works too as long as you’re open to learning Rust

• Delivers results – you have a proven history of writing high-quality, functional, and reliable code

• Works well remotely – async communication, detailed code reviews, and team collaboration are second nature to you

• Excels at problem-solving – you can tackle challenges with creativity and efficiency

• Takes ownership – you’re proactive and see things through to the end

A bonus

• Familiarity with the DeFi ecosystem

• Experience contributing to or managing open-source project

What we can offer

• Flexible work environment: Join our hub in Lisbon or work remotely

• Token plan: Have a stake in our mission and shape the future of CoW DAO

• Periodic gatherings: Enjoy opportunities to connect with the rest of the team through regular trips

• Conference allocation: Stay up-to-date with ecosystem advancements using our conference budget

• Learning budget: Use our learning budget to support your higher ambitions

• Hardware budget: Take advantage of a hardware budget for acquiring necessary equipment

• Make an impact: You are joining a startup where you can make a huge difference. Your work matters!

• Flat hierarchies mean fewer processes and bureaucracy - see more of your ideas come to life!

• Flexible work and vacation times: Prioritize work-life balance through our robust flexible work policy and vacation allowance

• Growth: If you're someone who loves taking the initiative and getting things done, CoW offers lots of opportunities for your individual growth

Referral Program

Earn 5.000 USDC or USD with the refer-to-earn program. More details here.

Culture

Life within the CoW Protocol is an incredible adventure! We take pride in our collaborative approach, embracing autonomy and fostering a culture of big thinking and continuous growth. We value impact, ownership, simplicity, and team spirit. Plus, we're all about feedback, coming together, and enjoying the journey along the way!

At CoW Protocol, we strive to create a space where everyone feels included and empowered. We believe that our products and services benefit from our diverse backgrounds and experiences. All qualified applicants are considered for positions regardless of race, ethnic origin, age, religion or belief, marital status, gender identification, sexual orientation, or physical ability