Principal Protocol Engineer

As a Principal Protocol Engineer, you'll serve as the primary technical author of the Nasdaq Token Design Standard — Nasdaq's canonical specification for representing public equity on-chain. This is a high-impact, high-ownership role at the intersection of smart contract engineering, capital markets expertise, and proprietary standards governance. Your work will define the foundation on which Nasdaq's tokenization ecosystem is built and licensed.You'll thrive here if you bring deep expertise in regulated asset infrastructure, think rigorously about the downstream implications of every design decision, and are energized by the opportunity to shape an emerging institutional standard at global scale.Key Responsibilities Own the design and evolution of the Nasdaq Token Design Standard, including token issuance, transfer restriction logic, compliance hooks, corporate action processing, and record date mechanics. Author and maintain the full reference implementation library — the proprietary IP that licensees build on — ensuring backward compatibility, clear versioning, and rigorous documentation across protocol upgrades. Define governance mechanisms for the standard, balancing Nasdaq's stewardship role with the accessibility requirements of a commercially viable ecosystem. Lead chain selection strategy and integration architecture, evaluating permissioned and public infrastructure against settlement finality, throughput, and regulatory defensibility criteria. Represent Nasdaq externally as a technical authority — engaging with ecosystem partners, contributing to industry standards bodies, and authoring white papers and public technical documentation. Serve as technical lead on integrations with external platforms, custodians, and cross-chain interoperability frameworks. Required Qualifications 8+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 4 years in smart contract or protocol-level development. Expert-level proficiency in Solidity; working knowledge of Rust (Solana/Substrate) is a strong plus. Demonstrated production deployment of security token or regulated asset contracts on a public or permissioned chain. Deep understanding of token standards design rationale and U.S. equity market lifecycle mechanics, including corporate actions, record dates, and settlement infrastructure. Proven ability to operate as a technical authority — writing specifications, presenting to non-technical audiences, and defending design decisions to partners and regulators. Preferred Qualifications Prior authorship or editorial contribution to a token standard (e.g., ERC or equivalent). Familiarity with institutional blockchain infrastructure projects involving DTCC, SWIFT, or comparable settlement networks. Experience with proxy voting mechanics and their translation to on-chain governance events. This position will be located in New York and offers the opportunity for a hybrid work environment at least 3 days a week in-office, subject to change, providing flexibility and accessibility for qualified candidates. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future; Nasdaq will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa)Come as You AreNasdaq is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and identities.We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives, experiences, and identities are valued and celebrated.We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation throughout the hiring process.What We OfferWe’re proud to offer a competitive rewards package that is meaningful, recognizes the unique needs of our employees and their families and incentivizes employees for their contribution to Nasdaq’s overall ...