Senior Rust Engineer – Proton Drive

Senior Rust Engineer – Proton Drive Overview

Join Proton’s Drive team to help build privacy-focused storage technology used by millions of people around the world. Proton was founded by scientists from CERN in 2014 around the belief that privacy is a basic human right. Since then, the company has grown into a profitable, independent organization with products such as Proton Mail, Proton VPN, Proton Drive, Proton Pass, and Proton Calendar. The company emphasizes meaningful work, a fast pace, a low-hierarchy environment, and hiring exceptional people who want to make a real impact.

This position sits within the Drive Foundation group, which forms the technical base of Proton Drive. The team develops the SDKs that power Proton Drive’s client applications and also serve as the foundation for bringing Drive capabilities into other Proton products, business use cases, and third-party integrations. The group is responsible for keeping cross-client and backend work aligned and correct, maintaining the core documentation for Drive, and helping define the architectural direction for the product as it evolves across both server-side and client-side systems.

What you will do

• Lead the design and implementation of core Rust libraries that act as the foundation for Proton’s web and mobile applications.
• Build and maintain components that can work reliably across different platforms, including browsers and mobile devices.
• Review code from other engineers, offer constructive feedback, and help improve quality, maintainability, and performance.
• Partner closely with frontend and mobile engineers to ensure the libraries integrate smoothly into the wider product ecosystem.
• Apply secure development practices that support Proton’s strong privacy and security standards.
• Create and maintain robust testing coverage, including unit and integration tests, to keep the core libraries dependable.
• Write and update documentation so other developers can understand and use the libraries effectively.
• Stay current with Rust and related technologies, and bring forward ideas that improve the platform or introduce better approaches.
• Contribute to the broader technical roadmap for Proton Drive, helping guide how the product evolves over time.

Team and technical environment

The team uses common collaboration and delivery tools such as Git, GitLab, GitHub, GitLab CI, Jira, and Confluence. Day-to-day work currently involves C# and TypeScript, and the team also needs bindings for Swift and Kotlin. Rust is being introduced so the team can avoid maintaining two separate SDK implementations. Observability and quality tooling includes Grafana and Prometheus for instrumentation, Sentry for issue details from SDK usage, and GitLab CI for automated testing, including end-to-end tests written with Playwright for both SDKs.

You will work in a cross-functional setting alongside backend API, web frontend, Mac, Windows, and Android/iOS mobile developers. The role is intended for someone who can help ensure strong integration and performance across all of these client surfaces.

What Proton is looking for

• At least five years of professional software development experience, with a strong focus on Rust.
• Deep familiarity with Rust language features, including ownership and concurrency.
• Experience building libraries for web and/or mobile applications.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively in a team.
• Excellent problem-solving ability and a practical approach to troubleshooting.
• A solid understanding of secure coding and a commitment to privacy and security.
• Comfort using version control systems, especially Git.
• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field.
• Extra value is given to candidates with iOS experience in Swift or Android experience in Kotlin, particularly if they have built native mobile SDKs or integrated Rust into mobile codebases.

What Proton offers

Proton says the work has real-world significance because millions of people rely on its services for privacy. The company describes itself as answering to users rather than advertisers, investors with conflicting interests, or governments. Employees receive stock options, giving them a direct ownership stake in the business from day one.

The company also provides the tools needed to do good work, including suitable hardware and software, and supports professional growth through learning and development opportunities. Proton highlights that employees are given real responsibility early and can accelerate their careers by working on meaningful challenges.

Benefits include strong health coverage, retirement support, generous leave, and wellness support. The company also emphasizes in-person collaboration and says that people spend most of their time working face to face with colleagues in offices such as Geneva, Zürich, Barcelona, and London. Office perks include daily lunch and snacks, as well as commuting support such as public transport coverage, bike allowances, or parking. Flexible working hours are also available so schedules can be arranged around team needs and outcomes rather than fixed clock times.

Diversity, inclusion, and hiring support

Proton states that it values diversity as a driver of innovation and says it is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where people of all backgrounds feel respected, supported, and able to contribute. The company encourages open dialogue and continuous learning, and it invites candidates who need extra support or reasonable adjustments during the hiring process to let their talent partner know.

Application and privacy information

Applications are handled through Greenhouse. Proton explains that candidate information is stored there and used to assess suitability for the role, and may also be kept for future opportunities that match a candidate’s background. If there is no longer a legitimate business reason to keep the data, it will be deleted or anonymized. Candidates who want to access, correct, or delete their information can contact Proton’s privacy team. The company also notes that it does not accept unsolicited resumes from sources other than candidates themselves and will not pay placement fees for unsolicited submissions.

The application form asks for standard details such as contact information, location, resume, cover letter, years of experience with mobile applications, the Proton office being applied to, current country of residence, salary expectations, and links to LinkedIn, GitHub, or a portfolio. It also asks whether the applicant has a work permit or is otherwise eligible to work in the chosen office location.

Degree Requirement: Bachelor’s

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