Backend/Systems Engineer (Blockchain)

TL;DR

Backend/Systems Engineer (Blockchain): Building the public API, indexing layer, transaction lifecycle services, and data pipelines for a greenfield high-performance distributed systems platform with an accent on production-grade infrastructure, observability, and developer-facing services. Focus on designing JSON-RPC endpoints, tracing transactions from submission through consensus, building query backends, and preparing the platform to handle real value at scale.

Location: Hybrid in San Francisco, United States

Salary: $140,000–$210,000 base salary, depending on knowledge, skills, experience, and location, plus grants.

Company

hirify.global is a nonprofit organization supporting the Stellar blockchain network and developing tools, funding, and partnerships to expand equitable access to the global financial system.

What you will do

• Design and build JSON-RPC endpoints for transaction submission, status queries, and account-state access.
• Own the transaction lifecycle from client requests through consensus and back, including status tracking, error reporting, and timeout handling.
• Build the indexer and query backend for the block explorer, partner integrations, and historical state queries.
• Develop analytics pipelines and implement metrics and event logging with Prometheus, ClickHouse, Sentry, and BigQuery.
• Work across service boundaries to understand and integrate components throughout the distributed systems platform.
• Lead API hardening, partner integrations, load testing, and production-readiness efforts for the new platform.

Requirements

• Strong systems or backend programming experience in Rust, C++, or both.
• Proven experience designing and building robust RPC or API services for high-scale, real-world traffic.
• Deep understanding of database architecture, indexing, and query patterns.
• Experience taking ownership of production infrastructure rather than only building prototypes.
• Ability to work directly with protocol architects and core systems engineers on a greenfield platform.

Nice to have

• Production experience building or operating blockchain infrastructure, including nodes, RPC layers, or indexers.
• Experience launching or operating a testnet or mainnet.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-moving, highly technical team with direct collaboration and no layers of management.
• Flexible time off, 15 company holidays, and a company-wide holiday break.
• Health, dental, vision, parental leave, disability, life insurance, and retirement benefits with a 4% 401(k) match.
• $1,500 annual learning and development budget, gym reimbursement, wellbeing benefits, and commuter contributions.
• Daily lunch and snacks in the office, company retreats, and family-building support.