Founding Smart Contract Engineer - Mar 2026 Sealth Chicago, IL Remote Contract Contract As Lead Protocol Engineer you are the sole technical owner of the smart contract layer — from architecture through mainnet launch and beyond. You will work closely with a quant team that publishes the index daily on-chain, and with a DeFi PM driving ecosystem integrations. This is a founding hire with high autonomy and a direct line to the founding team. Key Responsibilities Design, implement, test, and deploy the core protocol contracts: USHP token (ERC-20), sUSHP staking vault (ERC-4626), yield distributor with Props tier-weighting, and oracle consumer with staleness checks and circuit breakers for the proprietary daily index feed Write and deploy DeFi protocol adapters: Pendle SY interface for yield tokenization, oracle adapters for Aave/Morpho collateral onboarding, and Uniswap v3/Curve liquidity pool configuration Own the full audit process: scope, auditor selection, remediation, and deployment playbooks Define the threat model and security controls — including oracle manipulation resistance for a custom non-standard feed, access control, and economic attack vectors specific to an index-pegged yield-bearing token Set up post-launch monitoring and incident response for all on-chain components Serve as the technical interface between smart contracts and the backend, frontend, and quant teams Drive DeFi protocol governance submissions (Aave, Morpho) including risk parameter documentation and oracle methodology explanations to protocol risk teams Required Qualifications Shipped at least one token or DeFi protocol to mainnet and operated it post-launch through the full lifecycle: design, audit, mainnet and incident response Strong Solidity with a portfolio of production contracts; deep familiarity with common failure modes and attack vectors Experience with yield-bearing vault patterns (ERC-4626 or equivalent), staking mechanics, and on-chain yield distribution Hands-on experience writing oracle consumer contracts including staleness checks, circuit breakers, and fallback logic — particularly with custom or non-standard feeds Demonstrated ability to work through DeFi protocol integrations: Pendle adapter contracts, lending protocol governance submissions, or DEX pool deployment Comfortable as the sole protocol engineer initially; knows when to bring in additional help and how to onboard them Preferred Qualifications Experience with tokenized real-world asset protocols: NAV-pegged tokens, collateral management, redemption queue mechanics, or KYC-gated transfer restrictions Prior work alongside a quantitative or data science team translating model outputs into precise on-chain specifications Familiarity with RWA compliance constraints and regulated token architectures Experience navigating lending protocol risk team reviews for non-standard collateral or oracle types