Director of Research
9.0/10
Stellar Development Foundation
$210,000 – $365,000 USD
Remote
lead
about 4 hours ago
cryptofintechresearchweb3CryptographyResearchMechanism DesignIndustry CollaborationProtocol DevelopmentTeam BuildingResearch LeadershipFinancial Inclusion
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Description
Responsibilities
- •Shape the research vision: Define and lead a long-term scientific research agenda that supports SDF’s mission while contributing to broader conversations in computer science and decentralized systems.
- •Identify both mission-aligned applied challenges and foundational open problems to guide internal research and community engagement.
- •Foster deep academic and industry collaboration: Build strong, lasting partnerships with top researchers, labs, and institutions.
- •Support initiatives that lead to joint publications, open-source contributions, and shared advancement of knowledge—both within and beyond the Stellar ecosystem.
- •Balance innovation with exploration: Oversee a portfolio of research efforts ranging from mission-critical applications to blue-sky investigations in areas such as cryptography, distributed systems, and incentive design.
- •Champion rigorous thinking that leads to practical outcomes and advances the state of the art.
- •Build and support a strong, mission-driven research team: Recruit and develop a diverse group of research scientists and applied researchers, from early-career PhD interns to experienced domain experts.
- •Create a supportive environment where a range of perspectives, backgrounds, and research styles can thrive.
- •Translate insights into real-world impact: Ensure that research outcomes inform product strategy, ecosystem standards, and protocol development—helping strengthen Stellar’s role in building accessible, resilient financial infrastructure.
- •Engage with the global research community: Represent SDF at conferences, academic workshops, and standards bodies.
- •Contribute to the broader discourse on decentralized systems and financial inclusion through publications, presentations, and thought leadership.
Conditions
- •We offer competitive pay with a base salary range for this position of $210,000 - $365,000 depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
- •In addition, we offer lumen-denominated grants along with the following perks and benefits.
Requirements
Requirements
- •PhD in Computer Science, Cryptography, Distributed Systems, or a related field.
- •10+ years of research experience in academia (e.g., tenured or tenure-track faculty) or industry (e.g., senior research scientist or director-level role).
- •Strong track record of high-impact contributions, such as peer-reviewed publications, patents, open-source projects, or foundational technical work.
- •Demonstrated experience leading research programs or teams, including setting strategy and managing multi-year initiatives.
- •Experience working in both academic and applied research settings, with an ability to translate deep technical insights into practical impact.
- •Familiarity with open-source software development practices and/or participation in open standards communities (e.g., IETF, W3C).
- •Proven ability to collaborate across disciplines and institutions, including with academic labs, research consortia, and industry partners.
- •Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage technical and non-technical stakeholders, represent the organization publicly, and contribute to technical and policy discussions.
- •Commitment to mentoring and supporting researchers across career stages, and to fostering a collaborative and inclusive research culture.
- •Interest in or experience with the societal, economic, and ethical dimensions of decentralized systems, particularly in the context of financial access and inclusion.
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