Core Protocol Engineer

About Ritual Ritual is building a sovereign, execution layer for AI, with our private testnet already live and running. The Ritual chain is the first blockchain custom-built to support AI-native operations, designed from the ground up to enable a new class of applications at the intersection of crypto and AI. Our first product, Infernet, is pioneering new ground as the first solution to enable developers to access AI models both on-chain via smart contracts and off-chain, demonstrating our commitment to bridging these transformative technologies. About the role We're seeking a Core Protocol Engineer with deep expertise with Ethereum execution clients to help us extend the EVM for next-generation compute capabilities. You'll work on expanding the execution layer to support novel precompiles, implement parallel execution patterns, and design systems for heterogeneous compute orchestration. Design and implement extensions to EVM clients (Geth/Reth) for supporting stateful precompiles Implement novel mechanism design primitives, collaborating with our research team, into the execution layer Develop and optimize transaction processing pipelines for heterogeneous workloads Research and implement solutions for state access conflicts Contribute to core protocol development and EIP implementations Collaborate with the research team on protocol specifications and mechanism design improvements Design and implement robust testing frameworks for execution client modifications About you Deep understanding of EVM internals and Ethereum execution clients (Geth/Reth) Strong experience implementing and optimizing precompiles Expertise in Go and/or Rust for systems programming, and Solidity Thorough knowledge of Ethereum's roadmap and active participation in protocol discussions Experience with parallel execution patterns in blockchain systems Strong understanding of consensus mechanisms and blockchain architecture Ability to read, understand, and implement EIPs and protocol specifica