Capital Markets Lead

Interested in working on cutting-edge blockchain technology and creating equitable access to the global financial system? Since 2014, the mission-driven team at the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) has helped fuel the tremendous growth of the Stellar blockchain network, an open-source platform that operates at high-scale today. Developers and companies around the world build on it, and the SDF team is expanding to support the rapidly growing and changing Stellar ecosystem. We are seeking a seasoned Capital Markets Lead to oversee the strategic deployment of capital, risk architecture, and market operations for our digital asset ecosystem. The ideal candidate is a strategic leader with 6+ years of financial experience (including 3+ years in blockchain) who can bridge the gap between complex DeFi mechanics, capital execution, and corporate governance. In this role, you will not only execute complex strategies but will also architect the policies, risk controls, and operational workflows that define how we engage with the broader market. You will serve as a primary liaison between our trading/DeFi activity and internal accounting, engineering, and executive leadership teams. In this role, you will: DeFi Engagements Architect Capital Deployment Strategy: Manage the strategic roadmap for capital deployment to drive ecosystem utility, focusing on the evaluation and integration of high-quality protocols and liquidity solutions that enhance network health and asset accessibility. Partnership Negotiation: Drive end-to-end commercial negotiations with institutional co-parties, liquidity providers, market makers, and DeFi protocols. Ecosystem Stewardship: Serve as the functional point of contact within the DeFi landscape, cultivating high-level relationships to support the growth, security, and maturity of the ecosystem Token Execution Strategic Execution: Facilitate the execution of cryptocurrency sales and treasury management programs, ensuring they align with broader corporate objectives and market conditions. Program Economics: Develop and maintain internal options and volatility programs; define the quantitative parameters for execution to optimize program economics. Performance Oversight: Monitor the efficacy of sales and liquidity programs against benchmarks, adjusting execution playbooks to reflect real-time market shifts. Asset and Protocol Research Due Diligence Leadership: Conduct deep research into emerging DeFi protocols and assets prior to deployment. Evaluate tokenomics, governance models, technical viability, and strategic fit. Economic Modeling: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the yield dynamics or net carry costs of a strategy, alongside the associated risks. Translate these complex technical outputs into clear, actionable assessments for leadership. Engineering Liaison: Partner with Deployment Agencies to conduct security diligence on smart contracts, ensuring proposed integrations meet internal and external security standards. Portfolio Health & Risk Management Framework Development: Operationalize the company’s risk appetite frameworks. Define and help implement continuous monitoring controls for smart contract risk, concentration risk, collateralization, and credit risk. Proactive Mitigation: Identify emerging systemic risks within the portfolio; design and implement hedging or diversification strategies to protect assets. Governance & Controls: Ensure that risk limits are not only monitored but actively enforced through automated alerting and reporting. Market Operations Liquidity Strategy: Monitor market depth, volatility, and liquidity dynamics across key currency pairs. Propose and execute strategies to optimize liquidity. Volatility Management: Analyze and manage positions related to volatility. Leverage data-driven insights to propose adjustments to lending and borrowing strategies. Operational Excellence: Continuously improve the operations of our digital asset positions, including the architecture of wallet configurations, position documentation, and fund flow routing. Reporting & Compliance Accounting Collaboration: Act as the primary bridge between Digital Capital Markets and Finance/Accounting. Ensure all complex DeFi activity (lending, AMMs, CDPs) is accurately tracked, audited, and reconciled. Executive Reporting: Generate high-level performance and risk reports for leadership, translating complex blockchain data into actionable insights and strategic recommendations. Documentation: Oversee the internal documentation for risk management practices, ensuring audit-ready logs for all trading activities and counterparty engagements. You have: Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Computer Science, or a related field. MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred. Experience: 6–10+ years of professional experience in finance, investment banking, or capital markets; 3+ years of dedicated, hands-on experience within the blockchain/DeFi space. Technical Proficiency: Advanced knowledge of on-chain data, DeFi protocols (AMM/Lending/CDPs), and market-making dynamics. Proficiency in using blockchain explorers, on-chain analytics tools (e.g., Dune), and trading platforms. Strategic Leadership: Proven track record of presenting complex investment and risk strategies to executive-level stakeholders. Operational Rigor: Strong experience navigating the intersection of traditional accounting requirements and decentralized finance workflows. Analytical Depth: Expert-level quantitative skills. Ability to build, maintain, and interpret complex financial models in the context of high-volatility digital assets Intellectual Curiosity: Passion for decentralized finance and a proactive approach to staying updated with industry trends We offer competitive pay with a base salary range for this position of $160,000-$240,000, depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, we offer lumen-denominated grants along with the following perks and benefits: USA Benefits/Perks: Competitive health, dental & vision coverage with most plans covered at 100% for the employee + any dependents Flexible time off + 15 company holidays including a company-wide holiday break Generous paid parental leave for all parents, plus paid pregnancy disability leave for birthing parents Gym reimbursement ($80 per month) Life & ADD (up to $50K) Short & Long term disability 401K with 4% match Health & Dependent Care FSA Accounts Commuter benefits with $250/month employer contribution Health Savings Account (HSA) with monthly employer contribution Family building benefits through Kindbody Wellbeing benefits (One Medical, Rightway, Headspace) L&D budget of $1,500/year Daily lunch and snacks in the office Company retreats #LI-Hybrid About Stellar Stellar is more than a blockchain. Powered by a decentralized, fast, scalable, and uniquely sustainable network made for financial products and services and a thriving and passionate ecosystem that includes a non-profit organization driven by a mission, Stellar is paving the path to unlock the world’s economic potential through blockchain technology. Built with speed and low costs in mind, the Stellar network provides builders and financial institutions worldwide a platform to issue assets, and to send and convert currencies in real time creating real world utility. Founded in 2014, the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) supports the continued development and growth of the Stellar network and also serves the ecosystem of NGOs, corporations, universities, small businesses, governments, and solo entrepreneurs building on the Stellar network through tooling, funding and strategic collaborations. Together, Stellar is where blockchain meets the real world. About the Stellar Development Foundation The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) is a non-profit organization focused on working with and supporting change-makers to create equitable access to the global financial system through blockchain technology. SDF provides grants, investments, funding, and other awards to builders and organizations. SDF also develops resources and tooling on the Stellar network to help unlock real world utility. As a nonprofit foundation, SDF puts the health of the Stellar network and the Stellar ecosystem and its mission above all else. We look forward to hearing from you! Privacy Policy By submitting your application, you are agreeing to our use and processing of your data in accordance with our Privacy Policy. SDF is committed to diversity in its workforce and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. SDF does not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other basis protected by applicable local, state or federal law.