Senior Software Engineer, Systems

What We're Building

Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) are critical to the future of blockchain scaling, interoperability, and privacy, but are too complex for most developers today. Succinct’s mission is to make ZKPs simple and accessible for all builders.

Our core product is SP1, a breakthrough zkVM (zero-knowledge virtual machine) that enables developers to generate ZK proofs from normal code (like Rust) with state-of-the-art performance.

To support SP1, we’ve built the Succinct Prover Network -- a protocol on Ethereum that coordinates a decentralized network of provers for universal ZK proof generation. This lets developers outsource proving to a global, competitive marketplace of provers.

Our infrastructure is already in production with many of the best teams in crypto:

• Polygon is using SP1 to build AggLayer and Katana

• Celestia and Avail use our network to secure Ethereum bridges

• Mantle ($2B TVL) is using it to become the world’s largest ZK Layer 2

• And many more, including Celo, Interchain (IBC V2), Hibachi, Lido, Galxe, Taiko, Sovereign, and others

zkVMs are now a key part of Ethereum’s scaling roadmap, and Succinct is at the forefront -- delivering real-world impact, meaningful revenue, and some of the most technically ambitious work in ZK.

We’ve raised $55M across Seed and Series A from Paradigm, and we're a small, high-performing team focused on building deeply technical products with real-world adoption.

The Role

We are looking for a Senior Systems Engineer who specializes in Rust development to join our team to architect and develop low-level backend systems. You’ll drive performance-oriented greenfield projects to produce code that is highly optimized for zkVMs and be an active open-source contributor to our GitHub repos working on the frontier of ZK.

In this role you will:

• Develop and maintain APIs for SP1

• Contribute to Succinct GitHub repositories

• Architect and develop Rust system libraries

• Understand bytecode coming from SP1 & build integrations with low-level Rust libraries

• Have the ability to dive into compiler and OS development if needed

• Constantly look to innovate and think strategically about how to improve systems

Qualifications

• Expertise in low-level Rust development

• Strong understanding of computer architecture and systems

• Experience with industry-standard compiler technologies

• Operate with high agency and an ownership mindset

• Strong communication and collaboration skills

Nice to have

• Experience with one of LLVM or Cranelift

• Familiarity with performance-oriented systems

• Familiarity with embedded Rust systems

• Familiarity with cryptography

Location

Everyone on our team is located in San Francisco and works together in-person. Ideally, we’re looking for someone who enjoys in-person work and is already in San Francisco or willing to relocate (we can cover relocation costs). For senior candidates who are an exceptional fit, we’d consider a remote position as long as you’re available to onboard in-person for the first few months.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and equity package

• Full health, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents

• Daily lunch and dinner at the office

• Travel to industry events and conferences (company-paid)

Not Sure You’re 100% Qualified?

That’s okay -- if you’re passionate about ZK, love to learn fast, and are excited by our mission, we’d love to hear from you.