DevOps Engineer

We operate as a high-performance, globally distributed team with hubs in Berlin and San Francisco. We embrace hybrid work based around regular meet-ups and hackathons where real innovation happens.

CEF Mission

In 2025, CEF is on a path to automate data computation by scaling to thousands of distributed data clusters spanning millions of nodes around the world.

We seek a seasoned DevOps Engineer familiar with hybrid deployments and used to a startup environment to join us!

Responsibilities

In addition to client-side SDKs and self-hosted components, CEF maintains four stacks that require DevOps:

• Decentralized Data Clusters (DDCs): self-hosted, in-house and community-run nodes based on docker-compose files. Minor challenges: self-healing, observability, discovery. Major challenges: the zero-downtime upgrade protocol
• AI compute layer on top of DDCs (with on-prem version). AI clusters leverage Kubernetes to orchestrate secure data computing services on top of the DDC clusters. instances. Minor challenges: reproducibility, blue/green deployments. Major challenges: private on-prem
• AI services stack (k8s cloud version and on-prem version)
• The $CERE blockchain, which automates these data clusters by providing security and utility to the blockchain validators
• Tools and infra around all of above (SDK packages, static web sites, load balancers, proxies etc.). The aux tools are centralized and rather standard, think of them as EC2- and Hetzner-deployed HAProxy instances, as well as traditional Web apps

Ideal Candidate

• Has worked with founders closely, or was a founder before, and has scaled robust and large-scale distributed systems
• Understands infra run costs, R&D costs, and opportunity costs well
• Prioritizes hard-earned knowledge over showing off with numbers
• Enjoys on- and off-site events when we get the team together and work face to face

Our Culture

We set the bar high. We work fast. We move with intent. No politics, no quiet quitting—just radical transparency and a shared commitment to solving the hardest problems.

Salary & Benefits

The estimated salary range for this position is $100,000- $150,000 per year, depending on location, with Berlin on the higher end. In addition to base salary, total compensation may include company stock options, tokens, performance-based bonuses (every 6-12 months), and other future incentives.

Final compensation will be determined based on an individual’s qualifications, experience, skills, and other relevant factors.

If you’re ready to be part of a team that values autonomy, impact, and a relentless drive to push the boundaries of AI and data infrastructure—apply now!