Distributed Systems Researcher - Remote Position at Flashbots

About the Role

We are seeking a Distributed Systems Researcher to join our innovative team at Flashbots. As a Distributed Systems Researcher remote, you will play a crucial role in exploring open problems in distributed systems and consensus, particularly within the Ethereum ecosystem. Your work will involve translating complex ideas from academic literature into practical mechanisms, formal models, and prototype simulations that drive the future of decentralized finance.

What You'll Do

• Read, formalize, and prototype consensus mechanisms relevant to Ethereum Layer 1 and Layer 2.
• Model incentive structures and attack surfaces under realistic MEV and latency conditions.
• Collaborate with colleagues on TEEs, relays, and PBS variants to analyze threat models and improve protocol design.
• Explore critical questions such as the impact of multiple concurrent proposers on proposer fairness under MEV regimes.
• Investigate the role of relays in a geo-decentralized ePBS-Ethereum.
• Assess how inclusion lists or geographic decentralization can enhance validator diversity.
• Provide insights on the guarantees TEEs can offer as interactive verifiers in distributed protocols.
• Model distributed private block building scenarios.

Requirements

• PhD or equivalent experience in distributed systems, cryptography, mathematics, or related fields.
• Strong foundation in distributed systems, consensus, or network protocols.
• Ability to formalize and reason about safety, liveness, and incentive compatibility.
• Familiarity with Ethereum's internals, including Proof of Stake's consensus algorithm and gossip protocol.
• Experience writing or reading academic-grade research reports and developing small prototypes in Python, Rust, or Go.
• Excellent clarity in technical writing, capable of distilling complex ideas into precise outputs.
• Curiosity and independence in tackling deep technical puzzles.

Nice to Have

• Experience with Trusted Execution Environments (Intel TDX, AMD SEV) and remote attestation.
• Background in cryptographic or privacy-preserving systems (MPC, FHE, ZK).
• Experience with MEV, relays, or PBS architectures.
• Contributions to ethresear.ch, EIPs, or open-source distributed systems projects.

What We Offer

• Unlimited PTO with a high level of freedom and autonomy in your work.
• Attractive health coverage package for US employees.
• $3000 yearly budget for individual learning and development goals.
• Remote working flexibility, with a preference for EU/US time zones.
• Paid travel for team on-site meetings and events.

At Flashbots, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, or disability status.