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Research Engineer (all genders)

Ferrous Systems is an IT development service and training provider in the Rust programming language. Founded by members of the Rust project, the company engages in all aspects of Rust development and Open-Source sustainability. Our hallmark product is Ferrocene, the first Rust toolchain for safety- and mission-critical needs.

As part of a three-year research project, this role focuses on the formal modeling, implementation, and verification of a Rust subset, as well as on the theoretical and practical assurance of network protocols within this environment. The position offers the opportunity to pursue a PhD in collaboration with academic partners.

We are particularly happy to receive applications from non-cis-male people and from other groups that are underrepresented in the IT labor market.

This position is available full-time (between 35 – 40 hours/week). It is a project-based fixed-term position, limited to three years with an option of permanent employment after that period.

Within a 3-year research project, you will work with our partners to:

• Contribute to the formal semantics of Rust.
• Implement, formalize and prove (portions of) a network stack in Rust/Rocq.
• Publish academic papers on the project’s achievements.

Apply to this position if you have:

• A master’s degree or diploma in computer science or a closely related field.
• Proven experience in formal verification (with the Rocq ITP in particular).
• Working knowledge of the Rust programming language.
• Ideally, a deep understanding of the semantics of Rust, including the use of unsafe code.
• Experience in compiler development is a plus.
• A background in designing and implementing communication protocols is a plus.
• Familiarity with the Nix package manager is a plus.
• Ability to work independently and conduct structured scientific research.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills in an interdisciplinary research environment.
• Very good English skills, both written and spoken.
• Residence in Germany or willingness to relocate.

We offer you:

• A diverse and international team that is very dedicated to project-based and Open-Source work.

• A team of more than 20 people distributed across 7 countries and 4 continents.

• A remote-first workplace: Work from anywhere you like in Germany, as long as you can attend the agreed and scheduled meetings with our project partner.

• An open-minded culture with a good work-life-balance:

• Our full-time week has 35h with the option to work up to 40h.

• Your salary depends on your qualifications and work experience.

• We are family and neurodiverse-friendly: Complex time needs are respected

Your application:

If you’d like to get to know us better, please send an email to Hiring@ferrous-systems.com with the reference code 01-2026 in the subject line before the closing date of 11. January 2026.

You can expect a reply regarding your application status by December 23rd or starting from January 2nd, as our company will be closed over the holiday season. Please attach your CV and let us know what you are currently looking for. Feel free to include a link to your previous work and share details about your professional background. We look forward to hearing from you!