Capital Markets Lead
About the role
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.
Responsibilities
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.
Drive end-to-end commercial negotiations with institutional co-parties, liquidity providers, market makers, and DeFi protocols.
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.
Facilitate the execution of cryptocurrency sales and treasury management programs, ensuring they align with broader corporate objectives and market conditions.
Develop and maintain internal options and volatility programs; define the quantitative parameters for execution to optimize program economics.
Monitor the efficacy of sales and liquidity programs against benchmarks, adjusting execution playbooks to reflect real-time market shifts.
Conduct deep research into emerging DeFi protocols and assets prior to deployment. Evaluate tokenomics, governance models, technical viability, and strategic fit.
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.
Partner with Deployment Agencies to conduct security diligence on smart contracts, ensuring proposed integrations meet internal and external security standards.
Operationalize the company’s risk appetite frameworks. Define and help implement continuous monitoring controls for smart contract risk, concentration risk, collateralization, and credit risk.
Identify emerging systemic risks within the portfolio; design and implement hedging or diversification strategies to protect assets.
Ensure that risk limits are not only monitored but actively enforced through automated alerting and reporting.
Monitor market depth, volatility, and liquidity dynamics across key currency pairs. Propose and execute strategies to optimize liquidity.
Leverage data-driven insights to propose adjustments to lending and borrowing strategies. Analyze and manage positions related to volatility.
Continuously improve the operations of our digital asset positions, including the architecture of wallet configurations, position documentation, and fund flow routing.
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.
Generate high-level performance and risk reports for leadership, translating complex blockchain data into actionable insights and strategic recommendations.
Oversee the internal documentation for risk management practices, ensuring audit-ready logs for all trading activities and counterparty engagements.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Computer Science, or a related field. MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred.
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.
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.
Proven track record of presenting complex investment and risk strategies to executive-level stakeholders.
Strong experience navigating the intersection of traditional accounting requirements and decentralized finance workflows.
Expert-level quantitative skills. Ability to build, maintain, and interpret complex financial models in the context of high-volatility digital assets.
Passion for decentralized finance and a proactive approach to staying updated with industry trends.
Pay
$160,000 - $230,000, depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
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.