Principal Distributed Systems Engineer
Job Type: Independent Retainer — Milestone-Based Deliverable Contract
Job Field: Distributed Systems / Backend Engineering
About the Role
The successful candidate will help architect and own the systems behind a sovereign cloud and distributed edge compute network, including a compute workload exchange designed to manage concurrent resource bids, infrastructure constraints, billing records and distributed compute capacity.
You will work across algorithmic optimisation, Python backend engineering, PostgreSQL security, cryptography, Kubernetes/k3s and edge orchestration.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and implement a multi-threaded Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) optimisation engine capable of evaluating compute resource bids against constraints such as power, thermal limits, SLA priorities, processor states and cooling capacity.
- Build an append-only, tamper-evident transaction ledger using SHA-256 hash chaining to track resource allocation, billing events and energy-curtailment credits, with integrity verification and tamper-detection mechanisms.
- Design and deploy advanced PostgreSQL Row-Level Security (RLS) policies to enforce strict multi-tenant data isolation at the database layer, supported by access-validation middleware and security testing.
- Develop the orchestration backend that aggregates distributed edge compute nodes, identifies available capacity and coordinates workload distribution, encryption, execution and result return across the network.
- During the final execution phase, work with the local development team in Lagos to deploy production-ready systems, conduct load testing and lead structured architectural handover sessions.
Requirements
- Strong experience in distributed systems and high-throughput backend architecture.
- Python backend engineering and performance-critical data pipelines experience.
- Advanced PostgreSQL and multi-tenant database architecture experience.
- Experience with Kubernetes, k3s, Docker and cloud infrastructure.
- Experience with MILP and mathematical optimisation.
- Experience in quantitative engineering, operational research or resource allocation.
- Experience with cryptographic and tamper-evident data structures.
- Knowledge of SHA-256 and data-integrity verification.
- Experience with distributed edge/IoT orchestration.
- Experience with MQTT and IoT data pipelines.
- Technical documentation and architecture handover experience.
- Experience in quantitative trading infrastructure, operational research platforms, high-throughput fintech systems or large-scale SaaS multi-tenancy is particularly relevant to the role.
How to Apply
📧 Apply via: Send your CV to HR.Nigeria@escrow-tech.co.uk
Please include a concise technical portfolio or representative examples of previous work in areas such as MILP/optimisation, distributed backend architecture or multi-tenant database security. Clearly state the role you are applying for in the email subject line.
Additional Details
- Duration: July 2026 – December 2026
- Reporting: Technical Partner Project Manager
- Potential: Long-term engagement post-launch
- Knowledge Transfer: Weekly 90-minute technical walkthroughs; comprehensive architecture manuals; API, solver and database documentation; in-person knowledge transfer during Lagos-based periods; formal final knowledge-transfer sign-off, requiring the local team to independently build the systems from source.
Key Milestones
- M1: MILP Solver — Python + C
- M2: Immutable Billing Ledger — SHA-256
- M3: PostgreSQL RLS — Multi-Tenant Isolation
- M4: Edge Aggregator — k3s + Orchestration
- M5: Production Deployment & Handover