ZK Proof Engineer at Axiom - Crypto Career Growth in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
Career Positioning: ZK (zero-knowledge proof) engineering is one of the most specialized and highest-demand niches in all of software engineering. Expertise in zkVMs, Rust-based cryptographic systems, and RISC-V interfacing is extremely scarce — making this role a powerful career accelerator for the right candidate.
Compensation Benchmarks: No salary is disclosed, but ZK engineers at early-stage crypto startups in NYC typically command $180,000–$300,000+ base, with meaningful equity. The combination of crypto-market premiums and extreme scarcity of ZK talent pushes compensation well above traditional software engineering roles.
Skills You'll Build:
- Zero-knowledge proof system design and optimization (SNARKs, STARKs)
- Rust systems programming at a production, performance-critical level
- Compiler toolchain experience (LLVM/MLIR) — highly transferable to compilers, HPC, and ML infrastructure
- Low-level computer architecture (RISC-V) and cryptographic circuit design
Company Stage & Culture Signals: Axiom is an early-stage startup (you'd be among the earliest employees) with a deeply academic founding team (MIT/UChicago PhDs, IMO winners). This signals a high-rigor, research-driven culture. Expect intellectual intensity, rapid iteration, and significant autonomy — but also potential early-stage instability.
Green Flags: Top-tier investors, a shipped product (OpenVM), a world-class technical team, and real early-employee equity upside. Watch for: The strong NYC in-person preference and the lack of disclosed salary/benefits detail.
About Us
Axiom is using zero-knowledge proofs to enable new types of verifiable and private software applications, starting with crypto and fintech. We are a small but incredibly strong team backed by the best investors in crypto. We're looking for exceptional people who are excited to work on challenging and impactful problems in a fast-paced environment. Our office is in NYC and working in person in NY is our strong preference, but we're open to remote candidates as well.
We recently released OpenVM, a performant and modular zkVM framework built for customization and extensibility. OpenVM allows developers to verify the correct execution of arbitrary computer programs in a flexible and performant way. We are building ZK-enabled products using OpenVM and supporting teams building on OpenVM.
The Role
We are looking for a ZK Proof Engineer who will implement and optimize cutting-edge cryptographic code for zero-knowledge proof generation. You will be responsible for building systems to interface between low-level computer systems like the RISC-V ISA, compiler frameworks like LLVM, and database backends — and connecting them with cutting-edge zero-knowledge proof systems. The role will involve both optimizing ZK provers and implementing novel ZK circuits. Your work will require making design choices to enable rapid development of secure and efficient systems.
We are looking for someone with strong engineering design skills, the ability to work across the stack, and a security mindset. We also value the ability to make pragmatic technology choices which empower our small team without adding too much overhead.
Who You Are
You have a strong background in math/cryptography, or strong problem-solving skills and interest in zero-knowledge proofs.
You have proficiency in Rust, C/C++, or a similarly performant backend language. We work primarily in Rust.
You are extremely detail oriented and have a security mindset.
You've worked on challenging software projects and have an eye for performance.
You're a clear communicator and value collaboration.
You have a strong bias towards action.
You have an extremely strong work ethic.
Bonuses
You have experience with compiler frameworks like LLVM or MLIR.
You've worked with aspects of low-level computer architecture like RISC-V or programmed FPGAs or other custom hardware.
You have experience with database backends, including experience with query planning or low-level query engines.
You've done research in mathematics, theoretical computer science, or theoretical physics.
You have experience with low-level details of Ethereum.
We welcome diverse backgrounds. Some non-traditional profiles that may be a good fit include high-frequency trading, math/physics/CS academia, and hardware engineering.
Why Join Us
You'll be one of the earliest employees with ownership to make key technical/product decisions.
You'll be working on groundbreaking tech that has the potential to be a key piece of infrastructure for the crypto industry.
You'll receive a competitive salary with equity.
You will work with and receive mentorship from an exceptional team.
Our Team
Our founders Yi Sun and Jonathan Wang met while studying math at Harvard and have been working on ZK since 2021. Together, they wrote some of the most performant ZK circuits for elliptic curve cryptography and Ethereum data reads before starting Axiom.
Before Axiom, Yi was a professor at UChicago Statistics and did a math PhD at MIT. He was previously an advisor for Gauntlet and worked at an HFT startup from inception to profitable trading. Jonathan published number theory research in top math journals and did a math PhD at UChicago.
The rest of our small but incredibly strong team includes alums of Applied Intuition, Coinbase, Color, Neon, Google, and Perplexity as well as math/CS PhDs and IMO/IPhO/Codeforces winners. We look forward to working with you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this ZK Proof Engineer role fully remote or is in-person attendance required?
What programming language experience is required for this role?
Do I need prior zero-knowledge proof experience to apply?
What does the compensation package look like?
What is the team culture and company stage like at Axiom?
