Espresso Partnerships Lead

Espresso Systems is the lead developer of Espresso, a global confirmation layer designed to enhance cross-chain composability by providing fast and reliable transaction confirmations. Espresso confirmations help reduce finality risk and prevent issues like sequencer equivocation, making it easier for applications to operate across multiple chains. The network is currently in its Mainnet 0 release and supports various functionalities, including fast confirmations, decentralized sequencing, and low-cost data availability.

At Espresso Systems, we work with leading teams developing chains, rollups, and applications including Offchain Labs, Polygon, Cartesi, RARI Chain, and beyond—all united in our mission to build an open experience in which all chains work together as one.

The Espresso team comprises a diverse and passionate group of contributors from around the world. We are developers, designers, and researchers who have contributed in academia, in open source communities, in policymaking, and beyond. We are backed by over $50m in funding from leading investors in technology and crypto including a16z, Greylock Partners, Electric Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Polychain Capital.

As Partnerships Lead, you will be driving adoption of Espresso technology, delivering integrations with emerging app developer teams and enterprise blockchain studios alike. You’ll own the business development pipeline from new leads to closing commercial deals and drive metrics including total value secured by Espresso, amount of chains supported by Espresso, and number of cross-chain interactions facilitated by Espresso. You’ll be pounding the pavement with potential partners, ideating on use cases and value-add for their applications, and helping to build one of the most exciting new ecosystems in Web3.

• Identify and target opportunities for adoption of Espresso with other ecosystem players, ranging from upstart teams to enterprise, and establish relationships with them
• Manage relationships with existing partners, ensuring that their needs are met and that they are gaining the full benefits of Espresso technology and ecosystem support
• Collaborate with product and engineering teams to communicate market feedback and requirements and to drive partner integrations, launches, and ongoing support
• Manage engineering timelines and priorities both within the company and with external stakeholders to ensure alignment on projects and successful deliveries
• Conduct market research and stay up-to-date with industry trends to identify new business opportunities
• Negotiate and close partnership agreements that align with the company's strategic goals

• Enthusiasm for blockchain infrastructure and comfort pioneering new use cases and business models
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships with partners
• Knowledge of how to navigate crypto-specific channels including Telegram, Discord, and Twitter
• Strong negotiation skills to close partnership agreements
• Comfort explaining technical concepts (even if from a non-technical background) and their applications to real-world use cases
• Excitement to build relationships around the world with projects ranging from small teams of crypto developers to large enterprisesAbility to analyze market trends and identify business opportunities
• Strong collaboration with cross-functional teams
• Not required but an added bonus to have deep familiarity with a key strategic region including Korea, Southeast Asia, Turkey, LatAm

• At least 3 years of experience in business development, partnership management, consulting, or a related field
• Experience in the blockchain industry is a plus
• Enthusiasm for the industry is a must! We love to bring onboard people who are using onchain applications regularly, participating in DAO governance, and more.

• Fully remote with flexible hoursWork alongside the brightest minds in the crypto space
• Competitive salary + equity package
• Regular team off-sites to international locationsUnlimited vacation policy
• Top-tier health, dental, and vision coverage for US employees