Head of Data

Head Of Data

The Solana Foundation is seeking a Head of Data to own our data strategy and lead the team that powers ecosystem intelligence across DeFi, developer activity, payments, stablecoins, RWA, and network economics.

This role is for someone who is as comfortable setting a multi-year data vision as they are reviewing pipelines or diving deep into the data themselves. You'll manage a team of subject matter experts across multiple verticals, own the Foundation's external data partnerships, and ensure that the right decisions are made with the right information.

The bar is high: we're not looking for better dashboards—we're looking for someone who can make data a true competitive advantage for the Solana ecosystem.

You will:

• Define and own the Foundation's data strategy—what we measure, why it matters, and how it informs decisions across the organization
• Lead a team of analysts and analytics engineers, each owning a specific ecosystem vertical, and synthesize their work into a coherent cross-vertical perspective
• Own relationships with the Foundation's ecosystem data providers, ensuring coverage, quality, and methodological rigor
• Work closely with client teams (like Anza, Firedancer, Jito, Temporal, etc.) on data-driven assessments of Solana protocol upgrades
• Drive the data infrastructure roadmap and make decisions on tooling, gaps, and new partnerships
• Represent the Foundation's data perspective in executive conversations and external forums

You will have:

• 5+ years of experience in data, with at least 3 years leading a team or function
• Deep familiarity with on-chain data—you understand what the metrics mean and where they break down
• Fluency across DeFi, developer ecosystem, stablecoins, payments, and network economics metrics
• Strong technical foundation in SQL and Python, with hands-on experience managing a big data platform using modern data warehousing tools (Databricks, Snowflake, ClickHouse, etc.)
• Proven track record managing external data vendor relationships—not just consuming outputs
• Strong communicator who can translate complex, multi-signal analysis for non-technical stakeholders

Bonus points:

• Prior experience at a blockchain foundation, protocol, or DeFi analytics platform
• Familiarity with Solana's account model, fee mechanics, and program ecosystem
• Existing relationships with analytics teams and data providers in the Solana ecosystem