Senior Smart Contract Engineer - Base

About the role

This role focuses on architecting and building secure smart contract protocols and backend services. The engineer will be responsible for connecting Coinbase users to the broader crypto ecosystem. A key part of the work involves driving standardization within crypto protocols by designing and defining interfaces, contributing to the development of robust and interoperable systems.

The Senior Smart Contract Engineer will also contribute to the infrastructure supporting the Base chain. This includes ensuring that the systems are cost-effective, secure, and meet high industry standards. The position requires close collaboration with Base leadership and the product team to shape the onchain strategy and roadmap, influencing the direction of the platform.

Success in this position means not only delivering secure and efficient smart contracts but also fostering best practices within the team. The engineer will mentor other team members, sharing expertise in smart contract engineering. This aspect of the role emphasizes knowledge transfer and elevating the overall technical capability of the team.

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $186,065 to $218,900 USD, with total compensation potentially including equity, bonuses, and benefits.

Skills that matter here

• Solidity: The role requires at least two years of hands-on experience in Solidity development for building smart contracts.
• smart contracts: The engineer will architect and build secure smart contract protocols and must have experience deploying them on public EVMs.
• backend development: Three or more years of experience in backend development is required to build supporting services for the protocols.
• crypto: A deep understanding of the crypto ecosystem, including Ethereum and DeFi, is essential for this role.
• Ethereum: Extensive experience with Ethereum is expected, particularly in deploying smart contracts to its mainnet or other EVMs.
• DeFi: Familiarity with DeFi is necessary to contribute to the crypto ecosystem and understand current industry patterns.

Who this role suits

• A person who thrives on building secure, robust, and scalable infrastructure.
• Someone who is passionate about contributing to the crypto ecosystem and its future.
• An individual who enjoys mentoring others and establishing engineering best practices.
• A candidate who can responsibly leverage generative AI tools in their daily workflow while ensuring quality outputs.

From the employer

What you'll do:

• Architect and build secure smart contract protocols and backend services to connect Coinbase users with the crypto ecosystem
• Drive standardization in crypto protocols by designing and defining interfaces
• Work closely with the Base leadership and product team to set our onchain strategy and roadmaps
• Mentor and train other team members on smart contract engineering best practices

What we look for in you:

• 2+ years of hands-on Solidity development experience
• 1+ years experience deploying smart contracts that have seen public use in Ethereum Mainnet or other EVMs
• 3+ years experience with backend/client side development
• Demonstrated ability to responsibly use generative AI tools and copilots (e.g., LibreChat, Gemini, Glean) in daily workflows, continuously learn as tools evolve, and apply human‑in‑the‑loop practices to deliver business‑ready outputs and drive measurable improvements in efficiency, cost, and quality
• Deep understanding of smart contract best practices and current industry patterns
• Extensive experience with crypto (Ethereum, DeFi etc.)
• Interest and passion for contributing to the crypto ecosystem
• Interest and passion for building secure, robust, scalable infrastructure

Nice to haves:

• Experience with Geth/Reth
• Experience with zero-knowledge technology

Pay Transparency Notice:

Base salary varies by location (see range below). Total compensation may also include equity and bonus eligibility, and benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k)). Annual base salary range (excluding equity and bonus): $186,065—$218,900 USD