Chief of Staff for Engineering
About Us
Parity is one of the world's most experienced companies building the core infrastructure behind blockchain - the system that allows information and value to be shared securely without needing an intermediary. We're laying the foundation for a better web which respects the freedom and data of individuals, and empowers developers to build better, more trustworthy online services.
Our remote-first, global team develop open-source software that anyone can use or improve. This includes Polkadot, Polkadot SDK, and Kusama — key parts of the Web3 tech stack, the next generation of the internet.Our mission is to make Polkadot the most active and innovative community in blockchain, powering a new era of connected and decentralised applications.
About the Team
This role sits at the heart of Parity's leadership, working directly with our Founder to drive organisational alignment and execution across the company.
About the Role
You will work directly with Gavin Wood, Parity's Founder. Your job is to take his vision, goals and ideas, and turn them into clear decisions, aligned teams, and forward momentum. You will think 12 to 24 months ahead, not just manage what is on fire today. You understand that the decisions made now impact the future, and you treat them accordingly.
You will be a key partner to Directors across the business, our CEO, and the primary bridge between Gavin's priorities and the Acceleration team's execution.
What You'll Do
- Operate as Founder's technical right hand. You will manage his context, his priorities, and his follow-through. You are available when it matters. You anticipate what he needs before he asks for it.
- Turn chaos into clarity. Parity moves fast. You will work in an environment of competing half-thoughts, ambiguous mandates, and shifting priorities. Your job is to impose structure without killing momentum, and to spot the counterproductive plays before they cause damage.
- Think long. You will not just solve today's problem. You will map the second- and third-order consequences of decisions being made now and make sure the right people are thinking about them.
- Lead cross-functional problem solving. When something falls between departments, you pick it up. You have the technical credibility to engage with engineering leadership and the operational instinct to get things moving.
- Own the leadership rhythm. OKRs, technical reviews, decision-making cadences, you design and run the operating system for Gavin's leadership team.
- Manage up, across, and down. You will work with C-Level and Directors across different Functions of the business. Each is different. You will adapt your communication style to each of them without losing your own voice.
Your Skills
- Technically credible. You have a background in engineering or engineering management. You can hold your own with a CTO, challenge timelines credibly, and evaluate the viability of new technical initiatives. You do not need to be a Blockchain Engineer, but you understand the ecosystem well enough to distinguish substance from hype.
- A sophisticated operator. You have run complex, cross-functional programmes at a senior level, ideally having led a team or founded a company. You know how to create clarity from ambiguity, manage without authority, and drive decisions in organisations that do not move in straight lines. Experience managing leaders, including more junior managers, is a strong signal.
- Exceptional communicator. Not just clear, adaptive. You can shift registers between a demanding Founder, Functions Leads, and a junior team member. You know what each person needs to hear and how they need to hear it.
- A long-term thinker. You are not a damage limitation operator. You think about what the decisions being made today mean in 12 to 24 months. You bring that perspective into rooms where others are only looking at this quarter.
- Believes in Web3. You do not need deep protocol experience. But you need to understand why this technology matters and be genuinely curious about where it is going. Candidates who are indifferent to the mission do not last here.
- Thrives in ambiguity. Parity is not a machine. It is a high-conviction, fast-moving organisation with a demanding founder. You find that energising, not exhausting.
- Academically strong. A high-calibre degree matters. If you have one, lead with it. If you don't, your track record needs to be exceptional.
About Working With Us
Joining Parity means joining teammates who are genuinely excited about the impact their projects are having, and the opportunity to grow alongside some of the brightest minds in the Web3 space! You’ll work remotely and flexibly, while still getting to meet your teammates throughout the year at team and company-wide retreats.
Upon receiving an offer, all candidates undergo a background check through Zinc, our trusted third-party provider. Team members will be taken on as a contractor via our UK entity. View our Applicant Notice to see how we use your data.
Parity is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome diversity in our global team and care about everyone in our collective feeling included and welcome
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