Logo for Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

Decentralised Messaging Engineer - Rust

Role overview

Qualifications

  • Deep familiarity with real-world instant messaging systems (e.g., Signal, Matrix, XMPP) and understanding of their tradeoffs and challenges
  • Experience with decentralised computing – peer-to-peer systems, distributed networks, or decentralised application infrastructure
  • Proficiency with cryptographic primitives (signatures, ciphers, key exchanges) and secure private messaging concepts (forward secrecy, post-compromise security, key management)
  • Solid Rust experience with writing reliable, maintainable code in a team setting

Responsibilities

  • Implement messaging protocols in the reference SDK, translating protocol specs into reliable, production-quality Rust
  • Own the API design and developer experience of the SDK surface — abstractions, ergonomics, and developer-facing documentation
  • Contribute to messaging protocol specifications alongside the team
  • Write clear technical documentation and participate in async design discussions with collaborators across the project

About the company

Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) logo

Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

Professional & Trade Associations

Envision what the very best minds involved in the science of food can achieve when they work together: providing each and every person on the planet with a safe, nutritious, and sustainable food supply. Since 1939, IFT has been advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system by creating a dynamic forum where individuals from more than 95 countries can collaborate, learn, and grow, transforming scientific knowledge into innovative solutions for the benefit of people around the world. Together, we are creating a world where science and innovation are universally viewed as essential to a safe, nutritious, and sustainable food supply for everyone. As a scientific society with vision, IFT is feeding the minds that feed the world. Our Values Community We believe in the power of community. We collaborate across borders and scientific disciplines with public and private institutions. We are a convener of people and ideas. Teamwork is essential to our success. Integrity We want our scientific and operational integrity to be renowned. We honor the diversity of people and ideas in our community. We adhere to the highest level of professionalism and professional ethics. Passion We are passionate about the science of food. We are dedicated to expanding knowledge and advancing careers. We commit ourselves to finding solutions to the food challenges facing humanity. Progress We are dedicated to supporting the changing needs of our members and our community. We are committed to continuous improvement and to championing innovation. Respect We respect the scientific process and our peers. We are guided by the needs and demands of our members. We are committed to clear communication and responsiveness.

Company details

Company typeSME
IndustryProfessional & Trade Associations
Company size51 - 200

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Job description

Logos Messaging Team

The Logos Messaging team is focused on creating communication infrastructure for a freer internet — permissionless, interoperable, and based on user consent. We're building toward a world where anyone can reach anyone on a network that no single entity controls or can take away. We cannot afford to compromise on Privacy, and "Eventual Decentralisation" is not an option.

Right now we're deep in the hard problems: Bringing decentralised group messaging over MLS to all developers. This is frontier tech work — the protocols we're writing don't have established playbooks, and the tradeoffs we're navigating haven't all been mapped yet.

This is where you come in. We're a small team seeking engineers who have a passion for decentralised chat and who've thought deeply about how these systems work, where they fail, and what it takes to get them right. You'll work directly on our SDK and contribute to the protocols underneath it, with real ownership over work that enables open communication.

Key responsibilities

  • Implement our messaging protocols in our reference SDK, translating protocol specs into reliable, production-quality Rust
  • Own the API design and developer experience of the SDK surface — abstractions, ergonomics, and developer-facing documentation
  • Contribute to messaging protocol specifications alongside the team
  • As a member of a small team, you'll wear many hats — picking up problems outside your immediate lane, learning as you go, and growing with the team
  • Write clear technical documentation and participate in async design discussions with collaborators across the project

You will ideally have

  • Deep familiarity with real-world instant messaging systems - you've worked on, contributed to, or spent serious time understanding how systems like Signal, Matrix, XMPP, or similar are built, where they make tradeoffs, and where they struggle
  • Experience with decentralised computing - peer-to-peer systems, distributed networks, or decentralised application infrastructure
  • Comfort working directly with cryptographic primitives - signatures, ciphers, and key exchanges and an understanding of secure private messaging principles such as forward secrecy, post-compromise security, and key management
  • Solid Rust experience: comfortable writing reliable, maintainable code in a team setting
  • Previous experience with Web3, blockchains, open protocols, and the values that underpin them
  • A strong alignment to our principles: https://logos.co/manifesto/

Bonus points

  • Experience with Post-Quantum Cryptography and its application to secure messaging
  • Experience with MLS (Message Layer Security / RFC 9420) or the OpenMLS library specifically
  • You've authored or contributed to an open specification
  • Familiarity with P2P transport layers such as Waku or libp2p
  • Experience working for an open source organisation
  • Comfortable working remotely and asynchronously

Don't worry if you don't meet all of these criteria — we'd still love to hear from you if you think you'd be a great fit. Just explain why in your cover letter.

Hiring process

Interview with our Talent team 

Interview with Team Member (Technical Life Story) 

Interview with Team Lead / Pair Programming Session  (Technical Discussion )

Interview with Program Lead (Culture Fit)

Compensation

The expected compensation range for this role is negotiable, dependent on how we assess your skills and experience throughout our interview process. We are happy to pay in any mix of fiat/crypto.

 

 

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Marcus Rivera

Chief Revenue Officer

m.rivera@company.com
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