Senior Researcher, Systems

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 design and build step-function improvements over existing blockchain solutions. After recently raising $225M in series A funding, led by Paradigm, we are growing our team.

The Role

We are looking for systems researchers with a strong interest in databases and operating systems. Candidates with research experience in systems verification, operating systems, multi-core algorithms, or systems architecture, are an ideal match. You will be part of a small, deeply technical team, working on high-impact problems in a fast-paced environment. Although we are building a new blockchain, previous experience with crypto is not expected.

What You Will Do

• Designing performant algorithms and architectures related to storage or recovery, in single-node or distributed environments.

• Researching new architectures

• Tech stack: C++, clang, LLVM, gdb, perf, unix, git

Who You Are

• PhD in Computer Science or equivalent

• Significant research experience into databases or operating systems

• Experience writing performant algorithms

• Experience writing production-grade code

• Resourceful and self-motivated

• Collaborative

• Adaptive; able to make meaningful contributions in a fast-paced environment

• Curious about lower-level system details

• Interested in building high-value, performant and distributed systems

Why Work with Us

• Challenging problems. You’ll work on extremely challenging problems with massive impact. See our Blogs and Papers & 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).

• 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.

Salary and benefits

The target annual salary range for this US-based role is $180,000 – $250,000. This range represents our good-faith estimate at the time of posting and is not a guarantee of compensation. The final offer may vary based on factors including experience, domain expertise, and the candidate’s specific geographic location.

Benefits for US employees include:

• World class benefits package (medical/dental/vision)

• Unlimited paid time off

• 401(k) retirement plan + company match

• Lunch and dinner stipend (in-office NYC)

• Monthly wellness benefit

• Paid parental leave

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