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 OpportunityWe'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 roleYou 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 requirementsYou ideally have:6+ years of software engineering experience with 3+ years in institutional or enterprise environmentsProven track record of defining and executing technical roadmaps with measurable impactDeep expertise in institutional infrastructure: custody solutions, financial products, compliance adherence, trading systems, or settlement infrastructureExperience engaging with C-level executives and navigating complex enterprise sales cycles with multiple stakeholder approval processesUnderstanding of institutional business models, enterprise integration patterns and operational requirementsStrong understanding of security frameworks, compliance requirements, and audit processes in regulated financial servicesExperience with Rust, Go, Java, or other systems programming languages in production environmentsExcellent communication skills with the ability to influence technical decisions across organizations and credibly represent complex technical topics to both technical and business stakeholdersTrack record of shipping production systems that handle institutional-grade requirementsBonus points:Experience at a tier-1 custodian, exchange, prime broker, or institutional crypto infrastructure provider in a senior technical capacityExisting relationships with decision-makers at major financial institutionsExperience with Solana or other high-performance blockchains at scaleBackground 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 strategiesTrack record of closing deals with tier-1 institutions or successful institutional RFP responses
