Blockchain Architect Job Description Template

The blockchain architect designs systems that use distributed ledger technology, deciding which chain, which trust model and which components belong on chain at all. A large part of the value is in saying no, since many problems presented as blockchain problems are better solved with a database. When the answer is genuinely a blockchain, the architecture decisions are expensive to reverse.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

• Design end to end architecture for blockchain based systems
• Select the appropriate chain, consensus model and trust assumptions
• Define the boundary between on chain and off chain components
• Design contract architecture, upgradeability and access control
• Specify integration with existing enterprise systems
• Model throughput, cost and latency against requirements
• Establish security review and key management practices
• Evaluate vendors, infrastructure providers and third party protocols
• Guide engineering teams through implementation
• Document architecture decisions and their trade offs

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering or a related field

Required Skills and Experience

• 7+ years of software architecture with several in blockchain
• Deep understanding of consensus models, permissioned and public chains
• Ability to judge honestly when a blockchain is not the right answer
• Experience designing systems that custody or transfer value
• Strong grasp of cryptography and key management
• Understanding of scalability, cost and finality trade offs
• Clear architectural documentation
• Track record of delivered blockchain systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with both public and permissioned networks
• Enterprise integration background