Senior Software Engineer, Compiler

Category Labs (formerly known as Monad Labs) is a team of systems engineers and researchers on a mission to design and build at the frontier of decentralized technology. We strive to deliver significant improvements over existing blockchain solutions. After raising $225M in series A funding, led by Paradigm, we are growing our team.

We’re the team behind Monad, a high-performance, EVM-compatible Layer 1 whose public mainnet is now live. We write the core software that runs it: a parallel-execution EVM, a custom state database, and a BFT consensus client, all developed in the open.

We are looking for an exceptional compiler engineer to work on challenging greenfield projects that accelerate bytecode execution. For example, you will you will work on a bytecode execution graph builder which will enable speculative pre-execution of potential control flow paths. Your work will require intensive research and engineering and will help accelerate a platform securing billions of dollars in value. Experience with crypto is not expected.

• Work on greenfield performance-oriented projects in a fast-moving startup environment

• Research ideas for accelerating EVM bytecode execution

• Design and implement performant production systems

• Proven track record in compiler design and system architecture

• Strong background in software engineering principles principles

• Experience with industry-standard compiler technologies

• Good understanding of testing and benchmarking

• Industry and/or academic experience working on compilers for parallel architectures

• Strong C++ programming skills

• Knowledge of type theory is a plus

• Challenging problems: You’ll work on extremely challenging problems with massive impact. See our Blogs and Publications & Talks for a flavor of the problems we are solving in the real world.

• Huge opportunity: The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) standard is ubiquitous, but existing EVM-compatible chains are very slow. Monad’s core innovations offer developers the best of both worlds (portability and performance) and are a game-changer for mass user adoption in crypto.

• The right team: You’ll be part of a small, exceptional team (engineers and researchers make up 90% of the team).

• Open by default: Our core software is public on GitHub. You’ll build in the open, and your work ships where the whole ecosystem can see it.

• Culture: We’re a lean team working together to achieve very ambitious goals. We are united in our culture of collaboration, low ego, and high-quality output. As an early member of our team, you’ll help to shape our culture.

• Compensation: You’ll receive a competitive salary and equity package.

• Resources and growth: We’re well-capitalized, with backing from leading venture funds like Paradigm, Electric Capital, Greenoaks, Dragonfly, and Coinbase Ventures. We keep a lean team, and this is a rare opportunity to join. You’ll learn a lot and grow as our company scales.

We’re an AI-native team, and we expect engineers to use coding agents and keep up as the tooling evolves. A few things we believe:

• AI is leverage, not a crutch. Review what it generates with the same scrutiny you’d give a teammate’s PR, and own every line you ship.

• Judgment is what matters, not how long you typed by hand. We won’t ask for “N years of [tool].” The stack turns over every few months, so what matters is that you pick up new tools fast and know where and when they apply.

The base salary range for this role is $180,000 – $250,000. This reflects the minimum and maximum range across US locations. It does not include benefits, token, or equity incentives. The final offer may vary based on factors such as relevant skills, experience, domain expertise, and work location. If you are based outside of the US, we have geographic considerations that may impact your final compensation.

Benefits for all Full-Time Employees:

• Private health insurance options

• Flexible paid time off

• Monthly wellness reimbursement

• Paid parental leave

Benefits for US employees:

• World-class benefits package with 100% paid medical, dental, and vision insurance including 75% coverage for dependents and HSA + FSA options

• 401(k) with company match

• Lunch and dinner stipend (in-office NYC)

Benefits for employees hired through an EOR (outside of the US) will be based on EOR offerings and country-specific requirements.

Category Labs is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic data, or other legally protected status.