Solana Program Engineer
Job Description
Who We Are
The Solana Foundation is a non-profit based in Zug, Switzerland, dedicated to the adoption, decentralization, and security of the Solana network. Solana is a high performance blockchain that can deliver a fast and friendly user experience, without sacrificing security. The Solana Foundation is working to realize a world where individuals own their data, use permissionless networks, and transfer information and value freely around the world. We are looking for talented people who are willing to jump right in and use their expertise to help the ecosystem build.
What We Do
The Foundation collaborates with both internal contributors and external ecosystem teams to solve key technical challenges and accelerate the development of core infrastructure, developer tooling, and open source standards. This includes everything from on-chain protocols to growth tooling, smart contract frameworks, and new developer experiences.
We work closely with many of the most ambitious teams in crypto — including those building next-generation DeFi, payments, gaming, DePIN, and Real-World Asset platforms.
The Opportunity
We’re looking for talented Solana Program Engineers, with a strong emphasis on developers who have built — or want to build — cutting-edge DeFi protocols on Solana.
This is an open application to express your interest in working on one of several high-impact teams across the Solana ecosystem. Depending on your background and interests, we may connect you with projects building:
Advanced DeFi Protocols
- •Central Limit Order Books (CLOBs)
- •On-chain AMMs and hybrid liquidity models
- •Lending markets, margin trading, and perps
- •Bonding curves and structured products
- •Oracle integrations and liquidation engines
- •Governance, fee sharing, and staking mechanisms
Core Infrastructure & Tooling
- •Smart contract wallets and programmable access
- •Gasless relayers and session keys
- •Indexers and custom RPCs
- •Anchor / Pinocchio contributions
On-chain Applications & Middleware
- •Token launch frameworks and fair distribution tooling
- •Real-world asset registries and payment rails
- •DePIN coordination systems
Selected candidates will be matched with ecosystem teams (and in some cases, the Foundation’s internal contributors) based on your skills, interests, and availability. Roles vary from full-time to grant-based, depending on the team.
You’ll Be Great at This If You…
- •Build high-performance production grade Solana programs in Rust (Anchor or Native)
- •Are passionate about DeFi and familiar with onchain mechanics
- •Love taking ideas from 0→1 and iterating quickly with real users
- •Can reason about technical trade-offs and system design under constraints
- •Enjoy contributing to open source and improving developer tools
- •Thrive in startup-like environments: fast-paced, independent, and impact-driven
- •Looking for entrepreneurial, founding opportunities with the smartest people and skin in the game early on.
Desired Background
- •2+ years of experience building and shipping Solana programs
- •Strong familiarity with Solana’s runtime (SVM), SPL tokens, PDAs, and Anchor
- •Hands-on experience building or contributing to DeFi protocols
- •Understanding of state compression, account metering, and program optimization
- •Bonus: Familiarity with Solana-native DeFi protocols like OpenBook, Jupiter, MarginFi, Orca, or Meteora
Ready to build the next generation of DeFi?
If you’re a Rust engineer excited to work on the bleeding edge of Solana — whether you’ve already deployed programs or are looking to level up — we want to hear from you.
Submit your info and we’ll reach out as opportunities arise across the Solana ecosystem.
About Solana Foundation
The Solana Foundation is dedicated to advancing the Solana blockchain, a high-performance, open-source platform built for scale. Our mission is to foster the growth and decentralization of the Solana ecosystem, empowering developers and users to create innovative dApps and drive the adoption of Web3 technologies globally. We support a vibrant community pushing the boundaries of what's possible in decentralized finance (DeFi), NFTs, gaming, and beyond, with a focus on speed, low transaction costs, and energy efficiency. We cultivate a dynamic, remote-first work environment that thrives on collaboration, intellectual curiosity, and a shared passion for the future of blockchain. Our culture is one of open innovation, where every team member is encouraged to contribute ideas, challenge norms, and take ownership. We value transparency, technical excellence, and a commitment to building a more decentralized and equitable digital world. Diversity of thought and background is actively embraced, fueling our collective progress. Join the Solana Foundation and become a pivotal part of a movement shaping the next era of the internet. If you're a blockchain enthusiast, a visionary developer, or a community builder eager to make a tangible impact on a leading Layer 1 protocol, we offer unparalleled opportunities for growth and contribution. Work alongside some of the brightest minds in crypto, drive meaningful change, and contribute to a robust ecosystem that's defining the future of Web3 at scale.
Ready to Apply?
To submit your application for this position, please visit Solana Foundation's official website and follow their application process.