Institutional - Lead Solutions Architect

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 We're looking for a lead solutions architect to own institutional adoption and technical strategy for the Solana ecosystem. You'll serve as the authority for institutional-grade infrastructure providers, go toe-to-toe with CTOs at major financial institutions, and contribute to technical standards to accelerate the institutional adoption of Solana. This role combines deep technical leadership with strategic business development to establish Solana as the institutional blockchain of choice. To be successful in this role You will be: Engaging at the executive level: serve as the technical counterpart to CTOs, Chief Architects, and engineering leadership at tier-1 institutions, establishing credibility and trust in complex sales cycles Driving standards and best practices: identify, create (directly or through coordination with external development teams), and drive ecosystem-wide adoption of institutional standards including tokenization of common asset types, institutional trading, compliance tooling, and institutional custody architectures Building strategic relationships: cultivate deep technical relationships with custodians, tokenization engines, exchanges, prime brokers, and asset managers. Navigate complex organizational structures to build champion networks and influence multi-stakeholder decision processes Providing hands-on technical leadership: design reference architectures, drive institutional-grade documentation, and develop ROI models tailored to institutional decision-makers. Partner with business development to navigate 6-18 month sales cycles and institutional procurement requirements You ideally have: 6+ years of software engineering experience with 3+ years in institutional or enterprise environments Proven track record of defining and executing technical roadmaps with measurable impact Deep expertise in institutional infrastructure: custody solutions, financial products, compliance adherence, trading systems, or settlement infrastructure Experience engaging with C-level executives and navigating complex enterprise sales cycles with multiple stakeholder approval processes Understanding of institutional business models, enterprise integration patterns and operational requirements Strong understanding of security frameworks, compliance requirements, and audit processes in regulated financial services Experience with Rust, Go, Java, or other systems programming languages in production environments Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence technical decisions across organizations and credibly represent complex technical topics to both technical and business stakeholders Track record of shipping production systems that handle institutional-grade requirements Bonus points: Experience at a tier-1 custodian, exchange, prime broker, or institutional crypto infrastructure provider in a senior technical capacity Existing relationships with decision-makers at major financial institutions Experience with Solana or other high-performance blockchains at scale Background in traditional finance infrastructure (clearing systems, settlement networks, custody operations, trading platforms) or capital markets products (private credit, repo, derivatives, structured products) Understanding of global regulatory requirements for digital assets (MiCA, MiFID II, SEC custody rules, Basel III) Knowledge of competing institutional blockchain solutions and effective positioning strategies Track record of closing deals with tier-1 institutions or successful institutional RFP responses