Senior Data Scientist

You will lead empirical research into blockchain protocols, MEV, and market structure to inform Optimum's networking products and analytics strategy. Reasoning from raw on-chain data, protocol behavior, MEV, orderflow, market structure, and network-level timing signals, you will generate product insights at the intersection of networking infrastructure, decentralized systems, and empirical blockchain research, where millisecond-level differences can have meaningful economic consequences. This is a high-ownership, high-visibility role where you will shape research methodology, influence product direction, and communicate findings across Product, Research, Economics, and Engineering.

Responsibilities

• Own empirical research into MEV, block building, orderflow, validator/proposer behavior, latency-sensitive execution, and related market-structure dynamics
• Work with on-chain, mempool, relay, validator, and network-level datasets, including sources such as Xatu, to identify actionable patterns and quantify opportunity areas
• Translate open-ended research questions into rigorous analysis, clear conclusions, and product-relevant recommendations
• Formulate clear hypotheses, define falsifiable tests, evaluate evidence rigorously, and translate findings into actionable decisions
• Design and evaluate experiments, measurements, and causal analyses for latency-sensitive blockchain systems
• Build analytical frameworks that distinguish signal from noise in complex, high-variance environments
• Develop predictive, statistical, and simulation-based models that answer concrete product, research, and strategy questions
• Document assumptions, limitations, methodology, and results to a high standard
• Partner closely with Product, Economics, Research, and Engineering to turn blockchain research into product direction and strategic insight
• Help define which signals matter, how they should be measured, and how they could become customer-facing product primitives
• Work with Engineering on data pipelines, evaluation tooling, and production-ready research infrastructure
• Communicate complex methodology and market-structure insights clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in quantitative research, empirical blockchain research, data science, or a similarly analytical role, ideally in crypto, market structure, distributed systems, or latency-sensitive environments
• Strong statistical background and experimental rigor, including A/B testing, causal inference, quasi-experiments, diff-in-diff, and instrumental variables
• Strong blockchain research expertise with Ethereum or another major L1/L2 ecosystem and hands-on empirical on-chain research experience
• Direct familiarity with MEV, block building, orderflow, validator/proposer dynamics, transaction propagation, and blockchain market structure
• Experience building predictive and analytical models including regression, classification, time-series analysis, and modern machine learning techniques
• Fluency in Python and SQL and experience with modern analytical data platforms such as BigQuery or Snowflake
• A product mindset with ability to frame ambiguous questions and translate research into actionable insights
• High autonomy and ownership
• Prior work in a research organization, protocol team, crypto trading firm, MEV/searcher team, or infrastructure company is a plus
• Familiarity with networking concepts, latency measurement, and distributed/decentralized systems is a plus
• Experience working in an early-stage company is a plus

Benefits

• Flexible time off
• Fully remote work
• Equity