Backend Engineer (HFT / Low-Latency Systems)

Join to apply for the Backend Engineer (HFT / Low-Latency Systems) role at pod network

pod network is rethinking blockchain performance from first principles. If you’ve pushed systems to nanosecond-level determinism and want to apply that mindset to a global decentralized exchange layer, this role is for you.

About the Role

We’re looking for engineers with high-frequency trading (HFT) or ultra-low-latency systems experience to help architect and optimize our execution and matching infrastructure. You’ll work on the core runtime and networking stack that powers sub-millisecond order propagation and deterministic settlement across a distributed validator network.

What You’ll Do

• Design and implement latency-critical components of the pod L1 and order book engine.
• Optimize network pipelines, serialization, and state access for deterministic performance.
• Contribute to new protocol primitives for timestamped execution and atomic batch auctions.
• Collaborate with researchers on incentive design and cross-domain settlement models.

Qualifications

• Experience building or optimizing HFT systems, exchange matching engines, or low-latency trading infra.
• Strong systems background (Rust, C++, or Go).
• Deep understanding of concurrency, networking, and performance profiling.
• (Bonus) Experience with blockchains, consensus, or distributed systems.

What we offer

• Competitive salary.
• High-impact role in an ambitious, fast-moving startup.
• Travel opportunities and thought leadership visibility in the crypto community.

About pod

We are an ambitious, early-stage Web3 startup building a revolutionary new layer-1 protocol designed to bring Web2-like experience to Web3 systems. Our team is creating a chainless, blockless, leaderless protocol that challenges the conventional notion of consensus. Read more about pod network here. We’re backed by a16z crypto, 1kx, BBF, and Lemniscap—and we’re looking for exceptional engineers to help us shape the future of decentralized systems.