Rust Developer

A BIT ABOUT US

Appknox is one of the top Mobile Application security companies recognized by Gartner and G2. A profitable B2B SaaS startup headquartered in Singapore & working from Bengaluru.

The primary goal of Appknox is to help businesses and mobile developers secure their mobile applications with a focus on delivery speed and high-quality security audits.

Our business includes Fortune 500 companies with Major brands spread across regions like India, South-East Asia, Middle-East, Japan, US, and expanding rapidly. 

The Opportunity:

We are seeking a highly skilled Staff Engineer (Backend) to join our dynamic software development team. In this role, you will take ownership of key backend projects, drive cross-functional collaborations, and lead efforts to deliver robust, scalable, and high-performance software solutions. You will be focused on solving complex problems and influencing technical strategy across multiple teams. As a engineering leader, you will have the autonomy to make technical decisions, define project scope, and guide the direction of backend architecture while working with a passionate, high-performing team.

You will be working hands-on with products built on Python, with additional contributions in Golang and Rust. These technologies are central to our development stack, and your focus will be on developing, scaling, and maintaining distributed services. A core part of our architecture involves distributed systems, so you will gain in-depth experience in maintaining, optimizing, and scaling these systems in a fast-paced environment.

As a lead engineer, we expect you to not only code but also architect solutions, make independent technical decisions, and navigate complex problem spaces. You will be trusted with significant ownership, and your expertise will play a key role in shaping the future of our product and technology stack.

We strongly value open source contributions, and encourage you to check out our work on GitHub at Appknox GitHub. While we have experienced security professionals onboard to guide you, a background in security is not required for this position.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the backend development for a disruptive product in the Security domain, driving innovation while improving performance, scalability, and maintainability.
• Own the software design process, including designing workflows, system architecture, and feature implementation plans.
• Ensure timely delivery of high-quality software solutions by coordinating sprints, planning releases, and managing cross-team dependencies.
• Translate functional and technical requirements into detailed architecture and design, taking independent decisions to ensure efficiency and scalability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, providing guidance and support to developers to ensure high-quality deliverables.
• Conduct thorough code reviews to ensure code quality, maintainability, and adherence to best practices, while mentoring team members in coding standards
• Write clean, maintainable, and testable code, adhering to best practices and coding standards.
• Design and implement software components, frameworks, and APIs using Django and Python.
• Create flowcharts, layouts, and documentation to identify system requirements and solutions.
• Develop and enforce robust software verification plans, quality assurance procedures, and deployment strategies.
• Troubleshoot, debug, and upgrade existing systems to enhance functionality and performance.
• Ensure regular updates, maintain software systems, and evaluate user feedback to improve solutions.
• Mentor and guide junior engineers, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented environment.
• Act as the go-to expert for backend technical challenges, driving solutions and decision-making processes across the team.

Requirements:

• 5–8 years of professional experience in backend development with a strong focus on Django and Python.
• Proficiency in Django REST Framework (DRF), relational databases, SQL, and ORMs (e.g., Django ORM, SQLAlchemy).
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to make independent decisions regarding system design and implementation.
• Hands-on experience in designing and developing scalable, maintainable, and high-performing backend systems.
• Deep understanding of software engineering methodologies, including Test-Driven Development (TDD) and CI/CD practices.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to document technical specifications and workflows clearly.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor a small team of engineers, providing technical guidance and support without formal people management responsibilities.
• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure, deployment pipelines, and microservices architectures is a bonus.
• Self-driven and able to operate autonomously in a fast-paced environment
• Able to handle ambiguity and adapt to rapidly changing business needs.

Work Expectations:

Within 1 month

• Attend KT sessions conducted by the engineering and product teams to gain a deep understanding of the product, its architecture, and workflows.
• Learn about the team's development processes, tools, and key challenges.
• Work closely with the product team to understand product requirements and contribute to the design and development of features.
• Dive deep into the existing backend architecture, including database structures, APIs, and integration points, to fully understand the technical landscape
• Begin addressing minor technical challenges and tasks, while understanding the underlying architecture and tech stack.
• Begin to participate in creating action plans for new features, ensuring that design and implementation are aligned with product goals.

Within 2 months

• Take ownership of specific features or modules within the codebase, including the responsibility for their design, development, and delivery.
• Begin identifying potential areas for improvement in the codebase and propose strategies for optimization and scalability.
• Conduct code reviews to ensure high-quality deliverables while mentoring team members on coding standards and best practices.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., frontend, DevOps, QA) to align technical implementation with business objectives.
• Develop technical documentation for the assigned modules or features, ensuring maintainability and ease of onboarding for new engineers.
• Start contributing to the sprint planning process by estimating effort, identifying dependencies, and mitigating risks.

Within 3 months

• Take complete control of the codebase, demonstrating the ability to work independently and make critical decisions on system design and implementation.
• Lead the development and delivery of key features, ensuring they meet performance, scalability, and maintainability requirements.
• Act as a technical mentor for the team by guiding junior engineers and providing support to peers when needed.
• Drive cross-team collaboration, ensuring smooth communication between engineering, DevOps, and product teams.
• Lead and own the technical discussions for new features, contributing to architectural decisions and resolving technical challenges.
• Monitor and improve development processes, suggesting tools or methodologies to enhance team productivity and software quality.
• Prepare and deliver regular updates to stakeholders on project progress, risks, and mitigation strategies.

Within 5-6 months

• Be fully autonomous in the codebase and capable of leading a small team of engineers.
• Demonstrate strong decision-making skills and the ability to deliver high-quality features independently.
• Establish themselves as the go-to expert for the backend codebase and act as the technical POC for cross-functional teams.
• Play a pivotal role in enhancing team productivity and aligning technical solutions with business needs.

Personality traits we really admire:

• Great attitude to ask questions, learn and suggest process improvements.
• Follows timelines and absolute commitment to deadlines.
• Has attention to details and helps identify edge cases.
• Highly motivated and coming up with ideas and perspective to help us move towards our goals faster.
• Follows timelines and absolute commitment to deadlines.

Interview Process:

• Round 1 Interview - TA Profile Evaluation
• Round 2 Interview - Assignment Evaluation
• Round 3 Interview - Engineering Team & Technical Founder
• Round 4 Interview - HR

Compensation:

• As per Industry Standards

Why Join Us:

• Freedom & Responsibility: If you are a person who enjoys challenging work & pushing your boundaries, then this is the right place for you. We appreciate new ideas & ownership as well as flexibility with working hours.
• Great Salary & Equity: We keep up with the market standards & provide pay packages considering updated standards. Also as Appknox continues to grow, you’ll have a great opportunity to earn more & grow with us. Moreover, we also provide equity options for our top performers.
• Holistic Growth: We foster a culture of continuous learning and take a much more holistic approach to training and developing our assets: the employees. We shall also support you all on that journey of yours.
• Transparency: Being a part of a start-up is an amazing experience one of the reasons being the open communication & transparency at multiple levels. Working with Appknox will give you the opportunity to experience it all first hand.
• Health insurance: We offer family health insurance coverage to employees.

Job Title : Rust Tech Lead/Senior Rust Developer

Experience : 5+ Years

Relevant Experience in Rust : 3+ Years

Location : Gurugram

Employment Type : Full-Time

Role Summary :

• We are looking for a Rust Tech Lead/Senior Rust Developer with 5+ Years of software development experience, including 3 to 4 Years of expertise in Rust.
• In this role, you will lead a team of developers, guide technical decisions, and ensure the development of robust Rust applications.

Key Responsibilities :

• Lead and mentor a team of Rust developers.
• Develop and maintain high-quality Rust code.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure software stability.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues in Rust applications.

Qualifications :

• 5+ Years in Software Development.
• 3 to 4 Years of professional Rust experience.
• Strong problem-solving skills and experience in team leadership.

Preferred Skills :

• Systems programming and concurrent programming experience.
• Familiarity with Git and other version control systems.

Position Title: Senior Rust Developer

Location: Gurugram

Employment Type: Full-time

Job Summary: We are seeking a highly skilled Rust Developer with 5 Years of experience in software development and 3 to 4 Years of professional experience with Rust. As a Rust Developer, you will be responsible for developing, maintaining, and improving software written in Rust. This role involves collaborating with other developers to create high-quality and stable software, as well as troubleshooting and resolving bugs.

Key Responsibilities:

Software Development and Maintenance:

• Develop software solutions using Rust.
• Maintain and improve existing Rust codebases.

Collaboration:

• Work closely with other developers to create high-quality software.
• Participate in code reviews and contribute to team knowledge sharing.

Troubleshooting and Bug Resolution:

• Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve bugs in Rust applications.
• Perform root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.

Qualifications:

Education:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.

Experience:

Total Experience: 5 Years in software development.

Relevant Experience: 3 to 4 Years of professional experience with Rust.

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency in the Rust programming language.
• Experience with object-oriented programming.
• Familiarity with Rust development tools and frameworks.
• Strong problem-solving skills.

Soft Skills:

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent communication skills for effective collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with systems programming, concurrent programming, or low-level programming.
• Knowledge of other programming languages and paradigms.
• Familiarity with version control systems like Git.

Summary: 

You will play a crucial role in designing, implementing, and optimizing smart contracts and zero-knowledge proof (ZK) circuits using Solidity and Rust programming languages. You will work closely with our development team to build scalable and secure blockchain solutions that leverage zero-knowledge proofs for privacy and scalability enhancements. 

It is an amazing opportunity to work on cutting edge fintech Key 

Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and deploy smart contracts on Ethereum and other blockchain platforms using Solidity. 
• Implement zero-knowledge proof circuits and protocols in Rust for privacy-preserving and scalable blockchain applications. 
• Collaborate with the research team to explore and implement cutting-edge cryptographic techniques for zero-knowledge proofs. 
• Optimize smart contracts and zero-knowledge proof circuits for performance, scalability, and security. 
• Conduct code reviews and provide constructive feedback to ensure the quality and robustness of the codebase. 
• Stay updated with the latest advancements in blockchain technology, zero-knowledge proofs, and decentralized finance (DeFi). 
• Work closely with cross-functional teams including software engineers, and product managers to deliver high-quality blockchain solutions. 
• Contribute to the development of technical documentation, including specifications, architecture diagrams, and developer guides.

Context for the Candidates:

Blockchain engineers are tasked with building secure, scalable, and high-performance decentralized applications. This discussion focuses on how to utilize key technologies—Node.js, Rust, Go, TypeScript, Ethers.js, viem, and Hardhat—in smart contract and blockchain system development, while addressing the practical challenges that arise in such projects.

Key Discussion Points:

• How do you integrate Node.js, Rust, Go, and TypeScript in blockchain-backed applications?

• Discuss the trade-offs between using Rust or Go for performance-critical blockchain services.

• What are the key challenges in ensuring the security and scalability of smart contracts using tools like Ethers.js, viem, and Hardhat?

• How do you approach testing, debugging, and deploying smart contracts in a decentralized environment?

• Share best practices for gas optimization, contract upgradability, and backend scalability.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Technical Knowledge:

• Strong knowledge of Node.js, Rust, Go, and TypeScript with practical experience in blockchain development.

• Proficiency in Ethers.js, viem, Hardhat, and smart contract lifecycle (development, testing, deployment).

• Understanding of security best practices, performance optimizations, and scalability in decentralized systems.

2. Problem-Solving and Integration Skills:

• How candidates approach integrating smart contract solutions with backend services using Node.js, Rust, Go, and TypeScript.

• Solutions proposed for common challenges in blockchain projects such as gas fees, security vulnerabilities, and system bottlenecks.

3. Experience and Expertise:

• Minimum of 2 years of IT experience, including hands-on development with the specified technologies.

• Practical knowledge of blockchain architecture, consensus mechanisms, and decentralized application deployment.

4. Innovation and Critical Thinking:

• Candidates’ ability to think creatively about system architecture, proposing scalable and secure solutions for blockchain-based applications.

• Discussion on the future potential of blockchain technology and how the tech stack can evolve.

5. Communication and Team Collaboration:

• Clear articulation of technical challenges and how to address them in a team setting.

• Ability to lead or contribute to discussions in a way that encourages collaboration and team-driven problem-solving.

We are looking for a Rust Developer to join our cutting-edge development team as it grows. The candidate must be comfortable working in an agile environment and can take the lead when necessary.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for developing the product as per the product specification defined by the product managers
• Responsible for performing research on the best methods of implementing the requirements
• Author and curate technical documentation to support delivery, maintenance, and adoption
• Work with programmers, engineers, and management heads to identify process improvement opportunities, propose system modifications, and devise governance strategies to optimise the overall performance
• Design and develop automated deployment and maintenance mechanisms
• Solving development challenges and making architectural decisions by understanding the larger picture of the project goals
• Expanding your existing skill set, and picking up on various rust-dependent frameworks
• Confidently communicating and collaborating with your fellow developers in an office set-up.

Requirements:

• Must have experience in Rust programming language
• Have excellent knowledge of different data structures and algorithms
• Working knowledge of any other programming language Python, Java, or JavaScript is good to have
• Experience with, or understanding of, Kafka or Redis, Cloud infrastructure services, and Docker is an added advantage
• Experience with SQL or NoSQL databases, MySQL, MongoDB, Elasticsearch, etc.
• Experience in Backend and APIs development
• Experience in analysing and optimising the platform's performance

The tech stack looks like the below (expect this to change as we scale):

1. Typescript for APIs (REST and GraphQL)
2. Kafka, Spark, and data warehouses for ML pipelines (spark on python/scala)
3. Solidity + hardhat for smart contracts (in the future, rust, go and move)
4. AWS & Terraform
5. Full nodes

You can expect to do some or all of the following:

1. Read through protocols’ whitepapers and smart contracts to derive metrics and analyze risks
2. Architect the backend for APIs, async jobs, and blockchain integration
3. Build clean, concise APIs for customer integration, along with the documentation
4. Setup, run and maintain full and archive nodes across different chains
5. Integrate with multiple partners like exchanges and custody providers
6. Fool-proof security across the stack - encryption, hashing, privacy, VPC, etc.
7. Infrastructure as code - build terraform scripts and ensure easy replication of the infra across different regions
8. Research the top DeFi protocols to uncover better insights for our customers and evaluate their risk profiles, security, and historical returns
9. Manage production deployments, logging, and monitoring

We expect you to be fairly comfortable with working with both web3 and web2 stacks. We do not expect that you have web3 experience on day 1, but you should be willing to wear multiple hats, learn things quickly and move fast.

1. Generalist, a solid engineer who can learn things on your own and have an eye for clean, tested, and well-documented code
2. We don’t look at the number of years of work experience as a criterion, but rather see what you have done in your life so far (side projects, open-source contributions, blogs, etc.). We don’t care about degrees, the institutions you went to, or the companies you worked for before. We are open to talking as long as you have good judgment, great clarity, align with our values and have a strong track record of thoughtful work
3. Understand the fundamentals of building and integrating APIs and secure systems. Bonus if you know a bit about blockchains and protocols
4. You can be strong on the backend, front-end, or can dabble everywhere. We want you to play to your strengths and will provide enough opportunities to learn and do things outside of your comfort zone

Pay and benefits We offer a solid, competitive package (including early-stage equity) that is location agnostic. We give you the flexibility to choose the split between cash and equity.