The global financial system is undergoing a fundamental and inevitable transformation. The legacy infrastructure, characterized by slow, intermediary-laden processes, is giving way to a new paradigm of programmable, transparent, and real-time value transfer. This shift, driven by the maturation of blockchain technology, represents a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity to redefine how assets are issued, traded, and settled. The tokenization of real-world assets alone is projected to become a market worth between $16 trillion and $30 trillion by 2030, unlocking unprecedented liquidity and efficiency. Financial institutions are no longer on the sidelines; they are actively seeking enterprise-grade partners to navigate this new landscape and build the market infrastructure of the future.

Nethermind is a world-leading blockchain research and core engineering firm that builds the foundational layers for this decentralized future. As one of the most adopted node implementation, our work is critical to the security, performance, and resilience of the Ethereum network and its broader ecosystem. Trusted by the world's most demanding protocols and enterprises, we are renowned for our industry-leading performance, unwavering commitment to security, and our enterprise-ready technology stack. Our expertise spans the entire stack, from core protocol engineering and cryptography research to AI-powered security auditing and institutional-grade infrastructure management.

We are seeking a Global Head of Institutional Financial Products to be the chief architect and commercial leader of our expansion into the financial services sector.The mission is to bridge the gap between Nethermind's world-class engineering capabilities and the strategic needs of the world's largest financial institutions. This role is not about managing an existing product line; it is about creating the market, defining the products, and building the foundational partnerships that will shape the future of finance.

Are you the one?

You are an architect and a strategist, with deep, hard-won expertise in the plumbing of the global financial system. You have spent your career navigating the complexities of payments, clearing and settlement, custody, trade finance, or capital markets infrastructure.

You believe technology is the answer, but you are rightly skeptical of solutions that do not meet enterprise-grade standards for security, compliance, and scalability. You recognize the immense potential of blockchain but are acutely aware of the challenges, from regulatory uncertainty to interoperability and smart contract risk, that have historically hindered institutional adoption.

You are looking for a foundational role where you can build a business, not to manage a existing product line. You are an entrepreneur at heart, driven to create new solutions and own the outcome from strategy to execution. The prospect of leading a high-impact, cross-functional initiative in a fast-paced environment energizes you.

You want to architect the bridge between the legacy financial world and the future of decentralized finance, and you are looking for the most credible, deeply technical engineering partner to do it with. You are ready to translate your market knowledge into tangible products that solve real-world problems at scale.

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will be organized across the following pillars, reflecting the end-to-end ownership required to build this new business vertical.

Lead comprehensive market analysis to identify and prioritize the highest-value use cases for Nethermind's technology within institutional finance. Focus areas include but not limited to RWA tokenization, privacy solutions, cross-border payments and trade finance etc, prioritising commercial viability.
Engage directly with senior executives, strategists, and technology leaders at global banks, asset managers, and market infrastructure providers to deeply understand their strategic priorities, operational pain points, and regulatory constraints.
Serve as the internal "voice of the customer," translating complex institutional requirements into concrete product roadmaps, functional specifications, and user stories for Nethermind's world-class engineering, research, and security teams.
Develop the definitive business case and financial models for new product initiatives, articulating a clear value proposition, go-to-market strategy, and path to commercial viability.
Collaborate with our research division to align our long-term R&D in areas like cryptography, protocol design, and formal verification with the future needs of the financial industry.
Structure and negotiate complex commercial agreements that may involve technology licensing, professional services, and joint ventures. This will require close collaboration with our legal and leadership teams to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape for digital assets.
Collaborate closely with the Nethermind executive team to shape the company's overall institutional strategy, providing critical market insights that inform corporate direction and investment.

Skills

A minimum of 10 years of experience in the financial services industry, with deep, demonstrable expertise in the strategy, operations, or technology of at least one of the following domains:

Asset & Wealth Management: Operations and infrastructure related to private markets, fixed income, or money market funds.
Capital Markets Infrastructure: Trade execution, post-trade processing (clearing and settlement), custody, and securities services.
Payments & Clearing: Cross-border payments, correspondent banking, clearing systems (e.g., SWIFT, CHIPS, Fedwire), and real-time gross settlement (RTGS) systems.
Trade Finance: Letters of credit, bills of lading, supply chain finance, and associated operational workflows.

A proven track record in a senior, client-facing strategic role, such as business development, product strategy, partnerships, or corporate development, with a history of originating, negotiating, and closing complex, multi-stakeholder deals with institutional counterparts.
Exceptional communication, and presentation. You must be able to distill highly complex technical concepts (both financial and technological) into clear, compelling business value propositions for a C-suite audience.
Strong commercial acumen and a "product mindset." You have experience building business cases, developing financial models, and thinking systematically about how to transform a technological capability into a scalable, profitable product.
A sophisticated understanding of the risk, compliance, and regulatory environment in which global financial institutions operate, including familiarity with frameworks governing data privacy, AML/KYC, and operational resilience.
A demonstrable intellectual curiosity for and a high-level understanding of emerging technologies and their potential to disrupt traditional finance. Deep blockchain expertise is not a prerequisite; a passion for solving legacy problems with new tools is essential.

Nice to have

Direct experience working within a financial institution's innovation lab, digital assets unit, or a dedicated fintech subsidiary (e.g., J.P. Morgan's Onyx/Kinexys, HSBC's Digital Assets group, Standard Chartered's SC Ventures).
Experience selling or developing API-based products, enterprise software, or other technical infrastructure solutions to large, regulated institutions.
Familiarity with the legal and policy dialogue surrounding digital assets, potentially through engagement with regulatory bodies (e.g., SEC, FINRA), industry consortiums, or standards bodies.
An established network of relationships with potential early-adopter institutions or key decision-makers in the institutional digital asset ecosystem.
Experience thriving in a fully remote, globally distributed, and high-performance team environment.
Author and contribute to thought leadership content, such as white papers, industry reports, and presentations, that solidifies Nethermind's position as a trusted expert on the practical application of blockchain technology in finance.
Over time, build and mentor a world-class team of product managers, business developers, and client success professionals, establishing the institutional finance vertical as a core pillar of Nethermind's global business.

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