We are hiring a Smart Contract Engineer to help shape the next iterations of CoW Protocol and extend its real-world use cases.

Location: Fully remote team. We hire almost globally, with a preference for candidates based in Europe or within ±4 hours CEST.

Please note: we are not hiring from the United States, Australia, or New Zealand.

Position: Full-time contractor

What You Will Do

1. Join a small group of highly experienced smart contract engineers to architect, build, and iterate on the protocol—not just maintain it
2. Dig deeply into complex problems, refactor or discard code when necessary, and collaborate openly with a strong GitHub-driven workflow
3. Design and implement new protocol features through smart contracts that integrate cleanly with off-chain infrastructure
4. Work on advanced DeFi integrations, including flash loan–based flows with leading protocols, wallets, and lending markets
5. Help reshape the next iteration of CoW Protocol with a focus on decentralization, verifiable execution, and pragmatic on-chain order settlement
6. Support protocol health by:
7. Investigating suspicious transactions
8. Detecting on-chain misbehavior
9. Contributing to CoW DAO governance discussions and proposals
10. Review and advise on external integrations, including grant proposals and support for grantees building on top of CoW Protocol
11. Collaborate in a remote-first environment through:
12. Code reviews
13. Async discussions
14. Public GitHub-based development
15. Strong testing and CI practices

Tech You’ll Work With

Smart Contracts

1. Solidity
2. Foundry (occasionally Hardhat)

Backend & Services

1. Rust
2. Kubernetes
3. Integration between smart contracts and off-chain components

Monitoring & Debugging

1. Tenderly
2. Grafana
3. Elasticsearch

Data & Analysis

1. Python
2. Dune Analytics

Governance Tools

1. Safe multisig
2. Snapshot

Supported Chains

1. Ethereum
2. Gnosis Chain
3. Arbitrum
4. Base
5. Additional chains as the roadmap expands

Who You Are

1. Strong Solidity experience with a proven track record on EVM-compatible chains, ideally visible through meaningful GitHub contributions
2. Strong in Rust or Python
3. Rust preferred
4. Deep Python expertise with willingness to learn Rust is also acceptable
5. A problem solver who enjoys reasoning about trade-offs and building high-quality, long-term solutions rather than quick fixes
6. Comfortable working in a highly asynchronous, remote environment with clear written communication and detailed code reviews
7. Ownership-driven, curious, and motivated to continuously extend and iterate on the protocol

Nice to Have

1. Familiarity with the DeFi ecosystem and major protocols
2. Experience contributing to or maintaining open-source projects

What We Can Offer

1. Flexible work environment: Join the Lisbon hub or work remotely
2. Token plan: Participate directly in the mission and future of CoW DAO
3. Periodic gatherings: Regular team trips and in-person meetups
4. Conference budget: Stay current with ecosystem developments
5. Learning budget: Support continued learning and professional growth
6. Hardware budget: Equipment support as needed
7. High impact: Join a startup where your work directly matters
8. Flat hierarchies: Fewer processes, less bureaucracy, faster execution
9. Flexible work and vacation policy: Strong focus on work-life balance
10. Growth opportunities: High ownership and initiative are strongly rewarded