R&D Engineer – DeFi / Protocol Engineering

Join NIMA Labs’ Core Engineering team to design and build next-generation DeFi infrastructure on Sei Network.

Team: NIMA Labs Core Engineering
Projects: DragonSwap RFQ Layer • LST Protocol on Sei • MEV & Arbitrage Systems
Location: Belgrade (preferred)- Remote/ Hybrid

About NIMA Labs
NIMA Labs is a blockchain R&D hub pioneering next-generation DeFi infrastructure on Sei Network. We build, test, and iterate rapidly- from DragonSwap, Sei’s native DEX, to new systems around liquidity routing, MEV optimization, and LST yield primitives.
We’re a profitable company generating over $5M ARR, proving that DeFi innovation can be sustainable and scalable. Our goal is to define how onchain trading, staking, and settlement will look in the coming years, faster, fairer, and fully transparent.

Role Overview
You’ll be part of our advanced research and engineering team, working closely with founders to architect, prototype, and ship core systems powering DragonSwap’s RFQ engine, LST protocol, and onchain MEV & Arbitrage strategies.
Expect deep dives into protocol design, cross-contract simulation, offchain quoting, and liquidity routing logic.

Responsibilities

• Research and implement RFQ (Request-for-Quote) protocols for decentralized trading
• Design and build a Liquid Staking Token (LST) system native to Sei Network
• Develop, test, and optimize MEV and Arbitrage strategies within Sei Network’s block-building context
• Build smart contracts (Solidity) and supporting off-chain infrastructure (Node.js, Rust, Python)
• Prototype and test new liquidity routing and settlement mechanisms.
• Write technical documentation and R&D reports outlining experimental findings
• Collaborate with the core DragonSwap and DSX teams on integration, routing, and pricing logic

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in smart contract or DeFi protocol development
• Deep understanding of AMMs, RFQs, and liquidity routing models
• Strong programming skills in TypeScript / Node.js, and Solidity (Rust/CosmWasm a big plus)
• Familiar with Sei, Cosmos SDK, or other high-performance blockchains
• Experience building or analyzing MEV / arbitrage/bot systems
• Understanding of staking, re-staking, and LST mechanics
• Comfortable with low-level debugging, simulation environments, and SDK tooling
• Self-driven, research-oriented mindset, ability to move from concept to prototype quickly

Nice to Have

• Experience with orderflow auctions, intent-based systems, or solvers
• Prior work on RFQ DEXs, offchain quoting, or market-making infrastructure
• Contributions to open-source DeFi protocols
• Familiarity with indexers (The Graph), Rust SDKs, or Sei-specific dev tooling
• Interest in cross-domain MEV, price discovery, and execution layer dynamics
  

What We Offer

• Competitive salary + token/equity incentives
• Access to internal R&D resources and early-stage projects
• Direct mentorship from founders and lead engineers
• Work on cutting-edge DeFi systems with measurable onchain impact
• A culture that values speed, experimentation, and ownership
• Provided lunch, drinks, and snacks on office days to keep you fueled and focused throughout the day.