Logo

Senior Research Engineer, Cryptography

World
San Francisco, United States
Full time
$170,000 - $275,000 per year
On site

Overview

Department

Engineering

Job type

Full time

Compensation

$170,000 - $275,000 per year

Location

San Francisco, United States, North America

Company size

Mature [ 50+ employess ]

Resume Assistance

See how well your resume matches this job role with our AI-powered score. By uploading your resume, you agree to our Terms of Service

Ready to apply?

You're one step away - it takes less than a minute to upload your resume

Senior Research Engineer needed to join the Applied Research team, working at the cutting edge of cryptography to help scale and secure World ID and the World protocol. This role bridges theory and implementation.

Requirements

  • You have a strong research background in cryptography, theoretical computer science, or a related field — especially in areas like zero-knowledge proofs, MPC, FHE, complexity theory, or secure systems
  • You're comfortable moving between whiteboard proofs and real-world code, and you have experience writing clear, efficient implementations (Rust is a plus, but not required)
  • You care deeply about rigor, security, and the broader implications of your work—both technical and ethical
  • You’re collaborative, humble, and intellectually generous—you enjoy learning from others and helping them grow too
  • You’re energized by hard problems and ambitious missions, and you’re excited to shape how cryptography impacts the future of identity at a global scale
  • Bonus: you’ve explored intersections with AI/ML or have experience working in multi-disciplinary teams bridging research and engineering
  • Responsibilities

  • Design, prototype, and implement novel cryptographic protocols that enable privacy, scalability, and trust in the World ecosystem
  • Translate research into high-quality, production-adjacent reference implementations (Rust preferred)
  • Collaborate closely with research, engineering, and product teams to scope technical projects that push the protocol forward
  • Evaluate and mitigate security, integrity, and privacy risks across key systems, including World ID, World Chain, and Orbs
  • Contribute to architectural decisions around decentralized identity, data availability, and trusted hardware provisioning
  • Stay abreast of emerging research and propose new areas of exploration or implementation
  • Engage in mutual mentorship: raise the bar for rigor while supporting the growth of others on the team
  • Benefits

  • An open and collaborative office space in downtown SF
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Monthly Phone Reimbursement or a company device
  • Daily in-office meals
  • Top-tier medical, dental, vision insurance
  • 401k + employer match program
  • © All rights reserved.