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Find out exactly what skills, experience, and qualifications you will need to succeed in this role before applying below.

World is a network of real humans, built on privacy-preserving proof-of-human technology, and powered by a globally inclusive financial network that enables the free flow of digital assets for all. It is built to connect, empower, and be owned by everyone. About The Company

World is a network of real humans, built on privacy-preserving proof-of-human technology, and powered by a globally inclusive financial network that enables the free flow of digital assets for all. It is built to connect, empower, and be owned by everyone.

This opportunity would be with Tools for Humanity.

About The Team

The Protocol team at TFH consists of a group of engineers focused on shipping production-grade systems at the edge of cryptography, Ethereum/L2s, and zero-knowledge. We design and implement trustless, decentralized, and privacy-preserving systems that are built to scale to billions of users. Our work powers World ID, World Chain and other protocols within the World ecosystem, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with decentralized identity and blockchain scalability. We regularly collaborate with leading teams in the Ethereum ecosystem as well as contribute to open research and protocol design.

This role is onsite based in our San Francisco, CA office

About The Opportunity

We’re looking for a Senior Research Engineer to join the Applied Research team at TFH, working at the cutting edge of cryptography to help scale and secure World ID and the World protocol. This role bridges theory and implementation — ideal for someone with a strong academic background in math, with a particular exposure to cryptography, complexity theory, or decentralized privacy, who also thrives in building real systems.

You’ll help prototype and deploy novel cryptographic primitives that enable privacy-preserving identity, scalable data availability, and secure manufacturing—translating ambitious ideas into production-ready code. Recent projects include ZK iris-code upgrades, ZK-based DA layers, and decentralized randomness for hardware provisioning. Rust experience is a plus, as is familiarity with zero-knowledge proof systems, MPC, and AI/ML.

This is a rare opportunity to shape the foundations of a global identity system while collaborating with a small, rigorous, and kind team pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in applied cryptography.

Key Responsibilities

Design, prototype, and implement novel cryptographic protocols that enable privacy, scalability, and trust in the World ecosystem Translate research into high-quality, production-adjacent reference implementations (Rust preferred) Collaborate closely with research, engineering, and product teams to scope technical projects that push the protocol forward Evaluate and mitigate security, integrity, and privacy risks across key systems, including World ID, World Chain, and Orbs Contribute to architectural decisions around decentralized identity, data availability, and trusted hardware provisioning Stay abreast of emerging research and propose new areas of exploration or implementation Engage in mutual mentorship: raise the bar for rigor while supporting the growth of others on the team

About You

You have a strong research background in cryptography, theoretical computer science, or a related field — especially in areas like zero-knowledge proofs, MPC, FHE, complexity theory, or secure systems You're comfortable moving between whiteboard proofs and real-world code, and you have experience writing clear, efficient implementations (Rust is a plus, but not required) You care deeply about rigor, security, and the broader implications of your work—both technical and ethical You’re collaborative, humble, and intellectually generous—you enjoy learning from others and helping them grow too You’re energized by hard problems and ambitious missions, and you’re excited to shape how cryptography impacts the future of identity at a global scale Bonus: you’ve explored intersections with AI/ML or have experience working in multi-disciplinary teams bridging research and engineering

What We Offer

An open and collaborative office space in downtown SF Unlimited PTO Monthly Phone Reimbursement or a company device Daily in-office meals Top-tier medical, dental, vision insurance 401k + employer match program

Pay Transparency Statement (for CA And NY Based Roles)

The reasonably estimated salary for this role at TFH in our San Francisco office ranges from $170,000 - $275,000 , plus a competitive long term incentive package. Actual compensation is based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, TFH offers a wide range of best in class, comprehensive and inclusive employee benefits for this role including healthcare, dental, vision, 401(k) plan and match, life insurance, flexible time off, commuter benefits, professional development stipend and much more!Seniority level Seniority levelMid-Senior level Employment type Employment typeFull-time Job function Job functionEngineering and Information Technology IndustriesTechnology, Information and Internet Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at World by 2x Sign in to set job alerts for “Senior Research Engineer” roles. San Francisco, CA $204,000.00-$259,000.00 2 weeks ago Senior Accelerator or Beamline Mechanical EngineersSenior Data Scientist - Credit & LendingSenior Software Engineer, Simulation Tooling South San Francisco, CA $170,000.00-$210,000.00 2 weeks ago Senior Software Engineer, Handshake Plus - Monetization San Francisco, CA $180,000.00-$220,000.00 5 days ago San Francisco, CA $156,000.00-$211,000.00 3 weeks ago Sr. Software Engineer - Investment Manager San Francisco, CA $138,400.00-$173,000.00 2 weeks ago Sr. Software Engineer - Payments SupportFounding Team Senior Software Engineer Manager for a Social Travel Platform targeting Digital Nomads San Francisco, CA $150,000.00-$200,000.00 3 months ago Senior Research and Development Engineer, Design Redwood City, CA $120,000.00-$145,000.00 2 days ago San Francisco, CA $165,000.00-$265,000.00 3 months ago Senior Research Engineer/Scientist - Sensing, Future of Computing San Francisco, CA $147,000.00-$190,000.00 2 days ago Research Engineer / Research Scientist - Deep Research San Francisco, CA $100,000.00-$150,000.00 6 months ago San Francisco, CA $150,400.00-$260,000.00 2 days ago San Francisco, CA $120,000.00-$180,000.00 11 months ago San Francisco, CA $150,000.00-$250,000.00 3 months ago San Francisco, CA $100,000.00-$300,000.00 3 days ago Research Engineer / Research Scientist - AgentsResearch Engineer / Research Scientist - Model BehaviorResearch Engineer/Research Scientist, RLResearch Engineer/Scientist, Strategic DeploymentResearch Engineer / Research Scientist, Post-Training We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.

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