Decentralised Messaging Engineer - Rust

About the role

This role involves implementing messaging protocols for a reference SDK, translating specifications into production-quality Rust code. The engineer will be responsible for the API design and developer experience of the SDK, ensuring it is ergonomic and well-documented. This position requires contributing to messaging protocol specifications as part of a small team, navigating complex technical challenges in frontier technology.

The Logos Messaging team is dedicated to building permissionless, interoperable communication infrastructure based on user consent, prioritizing privacy and decentralization from the outset. The work involves tackling difficult problems in decentralised group messaging over MLS, where established playbooks are scarce and tradeoffs are still being defined. This is a hands-on role in a rapidly evolving field.

Success in this position means delivering reliable and maintainable Rust code that forms the foundation of secure, private messaging. It also involves actively participating in design discussions, writing clear technical documentation, and being adaptable to pick up diverse problems outside immediate responsibilities. The team values individuals who align with principles of open protocols and user-centric design.

The compensation for this role ranges from $98,000 to $162,000 USD, and is negotiable based on the candidate's skills and experience, with payment available in fiat or crypto.

Skills that matter here

• Rust: This role requires solid experience in writing reliable and maintainable code in Rust for implementing messaging protocols and SDKs.
• Cryptographic primitives: Comfort working directly with cryptographic primitives like signatures, ciphers, and key exchanges is essential for understanding secure private messaging principles.
• MLS (Message Layer Security): The team is focused on bringing decentralised group messaging over MLS, indicating this standard is central to the project's technical direction.
• Instant messaging systems: Deep familiarity with real-world instant messaging systems like Signal or Matrix is required to understand their architecture, tradeoffs, and challenges.
• Decentralised computing: Experience with peer-to-peer systems, distributed networks, or decentralised application infrastructure is necessary for this role.
• Web3: Previous experience with Web3, blockchains, and open protocols is expected, along with an understanding of their underlying values.

Who this role suits

• A person who has extensively studied or contributed to the architecture of established instant messaging systems.
• Someone comfortable working directly with complex cryptographic concepts and secure messaging principles.
• An engineer who thrives in environments where they need to define new protocols and navigate uncharted technical territories.
• An individual who values open protocols, user consent, and privacy in digital communication.

From the employer

• Implement our messaging protocols in our reference SDK, translating protocol specs into reliable, production-quality Rust
• Own the API design and developer experience of the SDK surface — abstractions, ergonomics, and developer-facing documentation
• Contribute to messaging protocol specifications alongside the team
• As a member of a small team, you'll wear many hats — picking up problems outside your immediate lane, learning as you go, and growing with the team
• Write clear technical documentation and participate in async design discussions with collaborators across the project

• Deep familiarity with real-world instant messaging systems - you've worked on, contributed to, or spent serious time understanding how systems like Signal, Matrix, XMPP, or similar are built, where they make tradeoffs, and where they struggle
• Experience with decentralised computing - peer-to-peer systems, distributed networks, or decentralised application infrastructure
• Comfort working directly with cryptographic primitives - signatures, ciphers, and key exchanges and an understanding of secure private messaging principles such as forward secrecy, post-compromise security, and key management
• Solid Rust experience: comfortable writing reliable, maintainable code in a team setting
• Previous experience with Web3, blockchains, open protocols, and the values that underpin them
• A strong alignment to our principles: https://logos.co/manifesto/

• The expected compensation range for this role is negotiable, dependent on how we assess your skills and experience throughout our interview process.
• We are happy to pay in any mix of fiat/crypto.