Institutional Sales Lead

OP Labs builds Optimism, an open-source blockchain network that powers the next generation of financial infrastructure. Hundreds of companies, from the world s largest enterprises like Sony, Coinbase, Kraken, Uniswap, OKX, and Bitpanda to the most ambitious early-stage builders, use the OP stack to launch their own blockchains and bring their users onchain. Today, over 65% of Layer 2 activity on Ethereum runs through the OP stack.We are a small team building at the speed of the ecosystem we support. We re remote-friendly but the NYC office is our center of gravity. We ve raised $178M from a16z, Paradigm, and others. We have our work cut out for us and are looking for exceptional people to join us.About the RoleWe re looking for a Sales Lead to drive Optimism s adoption among the world s largest financial institutions. You ll identify, secure, and expand the high-impact partnerships central to our growth strategy.The role is both strategic and executional. You ll work directly with Optimism leadership, product, marketing, and partnerships to shape new financial primitives that are only possible onchain, and bring them to market with the most ambitious builders in traditional finance.What are the role responsibilities?Own and execute strategyDefine and lead Optimism s strategy for institutions end-to-end. Act like a GMIdentify high-leverage market entry points (e.g., stablecoin corridors, embedded finance use cases, B2B/B2C rails)Translate protocol advantages into compelling narratives tailored to institutional decision-makersOriginate and close dealsSource, structure, and close high-impact partnerships with institutionsDrive product alignmentCollaborate closely with product, engineering, and partner teams to ensure successful integration and onboardingChannel market feedback to influence roadmap decisions (e.g., compliance features, wallet UX, account abstraction)Shape internal Optimism offerings (e.g., SDKs, liquidity support, ecosystem programs) to better meet institution partner needsLead externallyRepresent Optimism at industry events, institutions conferences, and global policy forumsPublish thought leadership on programmable money, composable compliance, and the future of payments infrastructureBuild and maintain strong relationships with ecosystem players (wallets, stablecoin issuers, banking-as-a-service providers, L2s)What skills do you bring?Experience10+ years of experience in enterprise salesProven track record of closing and scaling complex deals with institutional clientsDeep understanding of fintech infrastructure: wallets, custody, card issuing, stablecoins, compliance tooling, and developer platformsFamiliarity with crypto infrastructure with a focus on Ethereum, Layer 2s, and wallet abstraction conceptsSkills & ApproachSharp strategic thinker who can map fragmented fintech value chains and craft compelling BD thesesIndependent deal-closer who s comfortable interfacing with C-level stakeholders and navigating multi-party partnershipsHigh agency operator who can build 0→1 partnerships, GTM strategies, and partner programs with minimal oversightStrong communicator who can translate between business, technical, and ecosystem stakeholders across varying levels of crypto fluencyComfortable navigating ambiguity in a fast-moving, frontier market and iterating quickly based on learningsCulture & MindsetMotivated to rebuild the global financial stack on open, composable railsYou value results over recognitionThrive in collaborative, cross-functional teams but can also move quickly on your ownAlways looking to create scalable impact via product, partnerships, or ecosystemsWe are aware of fraudulent individuals falsely claiming to represent OP Labs in recruitment activities.Please note:All official communication will come from an @oplabs.co email address, or from a verified Linked profile.We will never ask for payment, banking information, or personal identification details at any stage of our hiring process.All c