VP, Business Development

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

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

Preferred Qualifications

Benefits

• Offers Equity
• Offers Bonus

About the Company

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.