Business Development Lead – Payments & Fintech

Who We Are The Solana Foundation is a non-profit based in Zug, Switzerland, dedicated to the adoption, decentralization, and security of the Solana network. Solana is a high performance blockchain that can deliver a fast and friendly user experience, without sacrificing security. The Solana Foundation is working to realize a world where individuals own their data, use permissionless networks, and transfer information and value freely around the world. We are looking for talented people who are willing to jump right in and use their expertise to help the ecosystem build. The Opportunity Solana Foundation is seeking a Business Development Lead – Payments & Fintech to drive strategic adoption of Solana across the US financial technology landscape. This person will focus on large-scale, complex engagements with major financial institutions, payments companies, and enterprise financial platforms — helping them understand and implement Solana’s infrastructure to power faster, lower-cost, and more efficient payments and fintech applications. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience structuring and managing enterprise-level relationships, navigating multi-stakeholder organizations, and aligning strategic priorities between established industry leaders and emerging technologies. What You’ll Do Drive Solana Foundation’s business development strategy and execution across payments, fintech, and enterprise finance Identify and pursue large, high-value partnership opportunities with financial institutions and fintech companies Build and maintain senior relationships across business, product, and innovation teams Develop partnership frameworks, pilots, and joint initiatives that demonstrate Solana’s capabilities at scale Collaborate cross-functionally with Foundation teams (product, engineering, growth, marketing) to ensure successful execution Represent Solana Foundation in executive discussions, conferences, and high-level partner engagements Stay informed on market, technology, and regulatory trends shaping the future of payments and digital finance What We’re Looking For 7–10 years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships, or enterprise sales within payments, fintech, or banking infrastructure Proven success in closing complex, multi-party partnerships Deep understanding and relationships in the US fintech and payments landscape Strong negotiation, relationship management, and strategic thinking skills Comfortable operating autonomously in a fast-moving, global environment Excellent communicator who can distill technical topics into clear strategic narratives Bonus Points Familiarity with blockchain or digital asset infrastructure (not required) Experience working at the intersection of traditional finance and emerging technologies