Business Development and Partnerships Director, Digital Assets

About the role

This role blends enterprise relationship management, structured execution, and strong product thinking. It involves managing and leading execution of multiple major cross-functional digital assets initiatives across Nasdaq.

Responsibilities

• Manage and lead execution of multiple major cross-functional digital assets initiatives across Nasdaq
• Lead negotiations with potential external partners and ecosystem participants while engaging with various internal colleagues to ensure successful delivery of solutions in a complex, rapidly changing environment spanning traditional, centralized and decentralized financial vectors
• Build a pipeline of customers and partners (issuers, broker-dealers, custodians, fintech platforms, infrastructure providers, blockchain networks) and close agreements
• Define mutual success criteria: use cases, milestones, KPIs, integration scope, security/compliance requirements, and resourcing
• Create a repeatable design partner playbook: intake, discovery, feedback cadence, roadmap mapping, escalation paths, and launch readiness
• Lead structured discovery (workshops, journey mapping, workflow deep dives) and convert insights into PRDs, user stories, and prioritized feature asks
• Run feedback loops: steering calls, usability reviews, sandbox testing, and post-implementation retrospectives
• Establish a mechanism to separate must-have requirements (regulatory/operational) from nice-to-have, and validate what generalizes across customers
• Pilot execution and cross-functional leadership
• Orchestrate concept-to-production execution with Product, Engineering, Legal/Compliance, Risk, InfoSec, Operations, and GTM
• Own the program management for early deployments: timelines, dependencies, integration readiness, and issue resolution
• Ensure pilots generate reusable artifacts: reference architectures, implementation guides, onboarding checklists, and security/compliance narratives
• Build sales enablement: demo scripts, objection handling, ROI narratives, and customer case studies (where possible)
• Create and refine the launch plan for GA: rollout phases, partner ecosystem needs, and support model

Requirements

• Must have experience in the digital assets space
• 8–12+ years in business development, partnerships, strategy, solutions, or customer success in fintech, capital markets, crypto, payments, or enterprise SaaS
• Demonstrated success securing and expanding strategic design partners or lighthouse customers and converting pilots into scaled programs
• Strong product orientation: ability to write crisp requirements, prioritize tradeoffs, and partner effectively with Engineering
• Comfort with blockchain and market infrastructure concepts (tokenization, custody models, settlement flows, identity/controls)
• Excellent cross-functional leadership and executive communication skills

Preferred qualifications

• Experience operating in regulated environments and navigating security/compliance reviews
• Background in implementation, solutions engineering, or product-led partnerships
• Familiarity with institutional buyer personas and procurement cycles

Core competencies

• Customer discovery and experimentation discipline
• Program leadership and operational rigor
• Product sense plus commercial instinct
• Executive stakeholder management
• Ability to convert learning into repeatable playbooks

What We Offer

• Competitive rewards package
• 401(k) program with 6% employer match
• Employee Stock Purchase Program with 15% discount
• Student loan repayment program up to $10k
• Company paid life and disability plans
• Generous paid time off
• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage
• Health spending account with employer contribution
• Paid flex days to support mental wellbeing
• Gym membership discounts
• Paid parental leave
• Fertility benefits
• Paid bereavement leave
• Hybrid home/office schedule (for most positions)
• Company gift matching program
• Employee resource groups
• Paid volunteer days
• Education Assistance Program
• Robust job skills training and Professional development opportunities