VP, Business Development

Kraken

1d•Remote

About The Position

Building the Future of Crypto Our Krakenites are a world-class team with crypto conviction, united by our desire to discover and unlock the potential of crypto and blockchain technology. What makes us different? Kraken is a mission-focused company rooted in crypto values. As a Krakenite, you’ll join us on our mission to accelerate the global adoption of crypto, so that everyone can achieve financial freedom and inclusion. For over a decade, Kraken’s focus on our mission and crypto ethos has attracted many of the most talented crypto experts in the world. Before you apply, please read the Kraken Culture page to learn more about our internal culture, values, and mission. We also expect candidates to familiarize themselves with the Kraken app. Learn how to create a Kraken account here. As a fully remote company, we have Krakenites in 70+ countries who speak over 50 languages. Krakenites are industry pioneers who develop premium crypto products for experienced traders, institutions, and newcomers to the space. Kraken is committed to industry-leading security, crypto education, and world-class client support through our products like Kraken Pro, Desktop, Wallet, and Kraken Futures. Become a Krakenite and build the future of crypto! The Team Kraken is a market leader in one of the most innovative and fastest-growing industries in the world. As we expand across products, markets, and geographies, strategic partnerships are a critical lever for accelerating our mission and extending our reach. The Business Development team is a core pillar of Kraken’s inorganic growth engine. The team is responsible for identifying, structuring, and executing strategic partnerships that expand product distribution, unlock incremental monetization opportunities, and accelerate time-to-market for new products and services. Business Development works closely with Product, Engineering, Legal, Finance, Compliance, Marketing, and Executive Leadership to deliver outcomes that materially advance Kraken’s strategic vision. The Role As VP, Business Development, you will define and lead Kraken’s global business development and partnership strategy. Reporting to our CFO, you will own the end-to-end partnership lifecycle, from strategy and market mapping through negotiation, execution, and integration, while building and scaling a world-class Business Development organization. You bring a proven track record of translating company priorities into high-impact partnership strategies, executing complex and high-stakes deals, and driving measurable business outcomes. You are equally comfortable developing rigorous financial analyses, influencing executive-level decision-making, and negotiating critical commercial terms with senior partners. You operate with strong executive presence and serve as a trusted cross-functional leader across the organization. The Opportunity Define and own Kraken’s global business development and partnership strategy in close partnership with the executive team Identify, evaluate, and pursue strategic partnership opportunities that expand product reach, drive incremental monetization, and accelerate new product launches Oversee the full partnership lifecycle, including strategy development, market mapping, target assessment, due diligence, deal structuring, negotiation, execution, and integration planning Lead, manage, and grow a high-performing Business Development team, fostering a collaborative, accountable, and results-oriented culture Work closely with leaders across Product Management, Engineering, Legal, Finance, Compliance, Marketing, and Operations to execute complex cross-functional initiatives Build rigorous business cases and financial models to evaluate partnership opportunities and support commercial decision-making Articulate key value drivers, risks, and strategic considerations in concise deal memos and executive presentations; drive alignment and effective decision-making across Kraken’s leadership team Cultivate and maintain a deep external network across crypto, fintech, and traditional financial services to stay ahead of industry trends and partnership opportunities Monitor market dynamics, competitive activity, and regulatory developments to inform partnership strategy and identify opportunities for differentiation

Requirements

15+ years of experience in Business Development, Partnerships, or Corporate Strategy, ideally within crypto or a hyper-growth FinTech environment
Earlier career experience in product management, management consulting, venture capital, investment banking, or corporate strategy strongly preferred
Deep expertise across the full business development lifecycle, including strategy development, target evaluation, negotiation, and integration planning
Demonstrated track record of building, managing, and scaling high-performing teams
Strong commercial acumen and product instincts, with the ability to anticipate industry shifts and identify high-leverage partnership opportunities
Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail, including the ability to build sound financial models and evaluate complex partnership economics
Ruthless prioritization skills, ensuring focus on the opportunities with the greatest strategic and financial impact
Exceptionally strong verbal and written communication skills, with the executive presence to influence senior leaders and external partners
Long track record of effective cross-functional collaboration with technical and non-technical stakeholders
Deep passion for financial markets and the crypto ecosystem; strong network across crypto and TradFi a plus
Knowledge of global financial regulations and their application to crypto; international business experience a plus

Responsibilities

Define and own Kraken’s global business development and partnership strategy in close partnership with the executive team
Identify, evaluate, and pursue strategic partnership opportunities that expand product reach, drive incremental monetization, and accelerate new product launches
Oversee the full partnership lifecycle, including strategy development, market mapping, target assessment, due diligence, deal structuring, negotiation, execution, and integration planning
Lead, manage, and grow a high-performing Business Development team, fostering a collaborative, accountable, and results-oriented culture
Work closely with leaders across Product Management, Engineering, Legal, Finance, Compliance, Marketing, and Operations to execute complex cross-functional initiatives
Build rigorous business cases and financial models to evaluate partnership opportunities and support commercial decision-making
Articulate key value drivers, risks, and strategic considerations in concise deal memos and executive presentations; drive alignment and effective decision-making across Kraken’s leadership team
Cultivate and maintain a deep external network across crypto, fintech, and traditional financial services to stay ahead of industry trends and partnership opportunities
Monitor market dynamics, competitive activity, and regulatory developments to inform partnership strategy and identify opportunities for differentiation

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