Formal Methods Engineer - Research

Who are we?IOG, is a technology company focused on blockchain research and development. We are renowned for our scientific approach to blockchain development, emphasizing peer-reviewed research and formal methods to ensure security, scalability, and sustainability. Our projects include the Cardano blockchain, as well as other products in the areas of decentralized finance (DeFi), governance, and identity management, aiming to advance the capabilities and adoption of blockchain and Web3 technology globally.What the role involves:As a Formal Methods Engineer at IO you act as a bridge between product, research, architecture, and development. You will develop formal artifacts as early as possible in the development process that grow with the project and continue to provide impact throughout into the late stages. You will develop and iteratively refine specifications, working towards high quality designs, prototypes and practical implementations. Your work will form part of the day-to-day quality assurance of production system development. In some projects, critical steps will be tested, or proven using appropriate formal frameworks and tools. In other projects, the expected performance of the resulting system will be modeled, so that the impact of design decisions on performance and stability can be assessed early on. Based on this process, you will provide feedback to the researchers. Finally, based on their specifications, designs, simulations and/or prototypes, you will advise and assist other development teams to implement and integrate their work into production systems.You will participate in knowledge sharing and continuous learning through interactions with Formal Methods Engineers across the company and more broadly with researchers and engineers as well.Build formal artifacts from research and architectural guidance, and business and engineering requirements.Model the performance of formally specified systemsProduce prototypes and simulationsRefine specifications, using the performance models and simulations to gauge the impact of design decisions during refinementsDiscover new properties about the specifications and their implicationsProve properties of the specifications and of the correctness of refinement stepsCommunicate with both researchers and developers, and act as a bridge between the two: you will provide feedback to researchers about issues that come up when their work is incorporated into real world systems. You will assist developers in understanding your specifications and in turning them into production codeReport on your work, in the form of blog posts, technical report documents, presentations at internal seminars, as well as at workshops and conferences, and/or by contributing to academic papersParticipate in code reviewsContribute property-based tests, both for testing properties of the executable specifications/prototypes, and for verifying production code against the executable specificationsContribute to the implementation, extension, and maintenance of custom static analysis toolingWork in an international team across multiple time zonesBreak down large and complex tasks assigned to you into workable items, and work on them independentlyShare specialized knowledge with other team membersRequirementsWho you are:A higher degree in Computer Science or a related fieldA minimum of 2-3 years of experience in a functional language, preferably HaskellA minimum of 2-3 years of experience in a dependent-typed language, preferably AgdaExperience working and collaborating with GitExperience with one or more formal methods Experience in one or more of the domains we are working in -- networking, distributed systems, programming language design, blockchain applications -- would be a bonus.Demonstrated ability to work on difficult problems in a self-driven wayDeep thinking, problem solving Ability to understand and translate complex ideas and break them down simply for yourself and others Software engineering skillsBridge between research and engineers Translate and reshape information for the software engineers to understand properly Telling researchers when there is a discrepancy - feedback to researchBe able to receive input from researchers, thoroughly understand and translate information into final code Continuously brings fresh ideas to the mixBe versatile and enjoy a fast-paced, ever-changing environmentBe a savvy problem solverBenefitsRemote workLaptop reimbursementNew starter package to buy hardware essentials (headphones, monitor, etc)Learning Development opportunitiesCompetitive PTO At IOG, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are valued and empowered to succeed. We welcome people of all backgrounds and ensure that employment decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, and potential. Everyone is given equal opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.Originally posted on Himalayas

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