As a financial technology firm, Paxos has an ambitious mission to bring technology and product innovation to the regulated financial services industry. We’re building the bridge to an open, 24/7 financial system. Cutting-edge tech and a great engineering team are key pieces to the success of Paxos. Today, our staff software engineer Ilan Gitter shares his non-conventional career path and why he works at Paxos.
Why did you join Paxos?
I was looking for a job within the crypto industry when I met a few engineers from Paxos at a BitDevs event Paxos sponsored. I talked with a few of them and was immediately interested in how Paxos approached the cryptocurrency space. This was during the height of the ICO boom of 2017 and it was refreshing to see a company that wanted to be a pioneer in the cryptocurrency space while also taking regulation seriously. I was immediately impressed by the talent and friendliness of engineers I met at Paxos.
What was your work experience before Paxos?
I have an untraditional engineering background. I first started coding when I was 12 but never received any formal training. I actually have an English degree and was touring in a band for a few years before focusing on engineering as a full-time career.
What are your day to day responsibilities at Paxos?
As a staff engineer, a lot of my time is spent thinking about fellow engineers and the engineering organization as a whole. I do what I can to push forward best practices and encourage those around me to proactively find and solve problems within the organization. I actively mentor a few engineers and hope to inspire them in the same way that others have inspired me. I also act as a technical lead on certain projects which includes design and implementation of products.
What do you like about working at Paxos?
We are an organization in constant change and everyone here feels a certain sense of ownership to improve Paxos as a whole. Everyone is extremely supportive, kind and willing to help others.
What goals do you have for yourself here?
I want to help foster an engineering culture that supports growth and innovation. I believe that no matter how many years of experience you have, you can have an important impact on your team and even the company as a whole. I want the engineering team at Paxos to be known for its focus on excellence and to prove that even a small group of people can revolutionize an industry.
A shared commitment to excellence is one of the core values at Paxos. If you are an engineer and want to be part of a brilliant team that promotes growth, collaboration and innovation, we are hiring! Check our career page to learn more.