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Protocol Development Jobs in New York (NOW HIRING)

The Role As a Protocol Engineer at Daylight, you'll lead the development of our core smart contracts and decentralized backend systems that underpin our onchain energy network. Our protocol interacts ...

The Role As a Protocol Engineer at Daylight, you'll lead the development of our core smart contracts and decentralized backend systems that underpin our onchain energy network. Our protocol interacts ...

Core Protocol Development: Architect and build a custom blockchain application using Go , Cosmos SDK , and CometBFT (Tendermint) * Cryptographic Implementation: Implement and optimize privacy ...

Hands-on experience with smart contract development languages (Solidity, Rust, Move, etc.) * Solid grasp of DeFi protocols, token standards, and cross-chain communication patterns * Strong security ...

You will operate at the intersection of smart contract development, DeFi mechanics, and blockchain ... ability to reason about protocol design, security, and cross-chain interactions. You will ...

Hands-on experience with smart contract development languages (Solidity, Rust, Move, etc.) * Solid grasp of DeFi protocols, token standards, and cross-chain communication patterns * Strong security ...

Hands-on experience with smart contract development languages (Solidity, Rust, Move, etc.) * Solid grasp of DeFi protocols, token standards, and cross-chain communication patterns * Strong security ...

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Showing results 1-20

Protocol Development information

See New York salary details

$31.7K

$58.4K

$88.6K

How much do protocol development jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 18, 2026, the average yearly pay for protocol development in New York is $58,441.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $46,500.00 and $65,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Protocol Development vs Clinical Research Associate?

AspectProtocol DevelopmentClinical Research Associate
Primary RoleDesigns and develops clinical trial protocolsMonitors clinical trials to ensure compliance and data integrity
Required SkillsKnowledge of clinical trial design, regulatory guidelines, and writing skillsMonitoring skills, regulatory knowledge, and communication skills
Work EnvironmentTypically in planning, development, and regulatory teamsOn-site or remote monitoring at clinical trial sites
CertificationsOften requires knowledge of GCP, regulatory affairsGCP certification often preferred

While Protocol Development focuses on creating and designing clinical trial protocols, Clinical Research Associates are responsible for monitoring and ensuring trial compliance at sites. Both roles are essential in clinical research but differ in their core responsibilities and work environments.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in Protocol Development, and why are they important?

To thrive in Protocol Development, you need a solid background in clinical research, regulatory requirements, and scientific writing, often supported by a degree in life sciences or a related field. Familiarity with tools such as clinical trial management systems (CTMS), electronic data capture (EDC), and knowledge of ICH-GCP guidelines is typically required. Strong attention to detail, project management, and effective communication skills help professionals excel in this role. These competencies ensure the creation of clear, compliant, and scientifically sound protocols that are essential for successful clinical trials.

What is protocol development?

Protocol development refers to the process of designing and creating detailed plans, often called protocols, which outline the methodology and procedures for conducting research or clinical trials. This includes specifying objectives, study design, data collection methods, and regulatory requirements to ensure the study is scientifically valid and ethically sound. Protocol developers work closely with researchers, regulatory bodies, and stakeholders to ensure all aspects of the protocol meet industry standards and compliance guidelines.

What are the main challenges someone might face when starting in a Protocol Development role?

One of the main challenges in Protocol Development is quickly understanding complex technical standards and aligning them with organizational goals. New team members often need to collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, such as engineering, legal, and product management, to ensure protocols are both technically sound and compliant with industry regulations. Adapting to rapidly evolving technologies and maintaining clear documentation can also be demanding, but strong communication and a willingness to learn can help overcome these hurdles.
Infographic showing various Protocol Development job openings in New York as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $58,441 per year, or $28.1 per hour.
Protocol Engineer

Protocol Engineer

Daylight

New York, NY โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision

Re-posted 2 days ago


Job description

About Daylight
Daylight is the decentralized energy company. We're building a protocol that converts distributed solar and storage systems into yield-bearing infrastructure. These assets are deployed behind the meter in American homes and businesses, generating electricity revenues that flow onchain as a single, liquid yield token. Our ambition is to build the economic engine for energy abundance-where capital fuels power, and power fuels everything.
Backed by a16z, Framework Ventures, and other leading investors, we're bringing together top minds in energy and crypto to build a new kind of energy network-one that is transparent, decentralized, and designed for the energy transition. Learn more at www.godaylight.com.
The Role
As a Protocol Engineer at Daylight, you'll lead the development of our core smart contracts and decentralized backend systems that underpin our onchain energy network. Our protocol interacts with energy hardware in the real world and tokenizes the value of flexible energy capacity into crypto-native incentives-bridging digital and physical infrastructure through verifiable smart contracts, oracles, and data integrations.
You should bring deep experience in Solidity and DeFi architectures (especially stablecoins, lending, or reward mechanisms), and be comfortable deploying cross-chain smart contracts using modern interoperability protocols like LayerZero or Wormhole. You should also be confident designing systems that ingest and act on offchain data in a trust-minimized way-whether through Chainlink, Chronicle, or custom oracle networks.
We're a small team working quickly, so you should be comfortable jumping into backend tasks when needed-whether supporting our Django APIs or refining the interface between our offchain services and smart contract layer.
This is a high-impact, high-ownership role. You'll work directly with the founding team, shaping the cryptoeconomic and technical foundation of Daylight's protocol.
This role is in-person in our New York City office.
Responsibilities
  • Protocol Development
    • Design and implement Solidity smart contracts that underpin Daylight's decentralized energy markets
    • Lead architecture decisions for our EVM-based systems across mainnet and L2s
    • Manage crosschain deployments and integrations using LayerZero, Wormhole, or similar technologies
    • Develop core logic for staking, token issuance, energy capacity verification, and rewards
  • Data Integration & Oracles
    • Architect secure offchain data flows to feed real-world energy data into onchain systems
    • Work with oracles and custom data infrastructure to bridge between energy hardware, APIs, and contracts
    • Design and maintain trust assumptions, verification mechanisms, and upgrade paths
  • Backend Engineering
    • Support Daylight's core backend team as needed with Python/Django development
    • Help design and maintain APIs that interact with contracts and power our frontend applications
    • Participate in DevOps, testing, and deployment of protocol-related services
  • Security & Auditing
    • Lead internal security reviews and coordinate third-party audits of smart contracts
    • Stay up-to-date on known exploits and best practices in DeFi and crosschain architecture
  • Product Strategy & R&D
    • Contribute to protocol incentive design, economic modeling, and simulations
    • Evaluate new technologies, frameworks, and cryptoeconomic primitives to inform

What we're looking for
| Must Haves
  • 3+ years of experience developing and deploying Solidity smart contracts in production
  • Deep familiarity with DeFi protocols-especially stablecoins, lending markets, staking, or yield systems
  • Experience with crosschain development (e.g., LayerZero, Wormhole, Axelar)
  • Proven experience integrating offchain data via oracles (Chainlink, Chronicle, custom feeds)
  • Understanding of EVM security, auditing practices, and gas optimization
  • Comfortable writing and reviewing Python code and supporting traditional backend engineering tasks
  • Passion for clean energy, decentralization, and building systems with real-world impact
  • Based in NYC, excited to collaborate in-office
| Nice to Haves
  • Experience building L2-native or modular appchains (OP Stack, Polygon CDK, etc.)
  • Familiarity with protocol simulations (e.g., Python-based Monte Carlo models or token economic tools)
  • Previous experience contributing to open-source protocols
  • Understanding of DERs, energy hardware, or grid operations
  • Experience working in early-stage startups or founding teams

What we offer
  • Competitive salary and equity package
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Monthly wellness and Wellhub stipend
  • Opportunity to shape a category-defining protocol from the ground up
  • Work in-person with a deeply motivated team in New York City

Daylight values diversity and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates. We're building technology that serves everyone, and we believe diverse perspectives make our team and our product stronger.