Business Development

Gauntlet leads the field in quantitative research and optimization of DeFi economics. We manage market risk, optimize growth, and ensure economic safety for protocols facilitating most spot trading, borrowing, and lending activity across all of DeFi, protecting and optimizing the largest protocols and networks in the industry. We build institutional-grade vaults for decentralized finance, delivering risk-adjusted onchain yields for capital at scale. Designed by the most vigilant, quantitative minds in crypto and informed by years of research. As of April 2025, Gauntlet manages risk and incentives covering over $42 billion in customer TVL.

Gauntlet continually publishes cutting-edge research that informs our risk models, alerts, and analysis, and is among the most cited institution — including academic institutions — in terms of peer-reviewed papers addressing DeFi as a subject. We’re a Series B company with around 75 employees, operating remote-first with a home base in New York City.

Our mission is to drive adoption and understanding in the financial systems of the future. The unique challenges of decentralized systems call for innovative approaches in mechanism design, smart contract development, and financial product utilization. Gauntlet leads in advancing this knowledge, ensuring safe progression through the evolving landscape of financial innovation.

To grow our impact in the DeFi space, we are looking to hire an experienced, crypto-native Business Development actor who can secure additional partnerships via aggressive outreach for existing, new, and upcoming Gauntlet products with DeFi protocols, DAOs, and TVL allocators. This role requires experience with and a deep understanding of DeFi primitives (e.g., lending protocols, perpetual, restocking), DAO governance, and pursuing new partnerships/integrations via existing relationships and cold outreach.

Responsibilities

• Execute aggressive outbound partnership strategies for existing/new products and services.
• Own the full sales cycle from lead, proposal drafting, and close for pre-launch and post-launch protocols.
• Meet quarterly sales revenue and/or TVL KPIs. 
• Contribute to improving Growth team systems that assist in scaling the sales process.
• Work with Product, Engineering, Data Science, and Finance teams to validate and optimally position Gauntlet within targeted verticals. 
• Nurture opportunities across various key stakeholders.
• Occasional travel to represent Gauntlet at key conferences.

Qualifications

• Minimum 1 year of Crypto/DeFi native business development, partnerships, or governance experience.
• Demonstrated experience structuring, negotiating, and closing partnerships.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Data Science, and Finance teams to ensure successful partnerships.
• Deep understanding of DeFi primitives (e.g., lending, perpetuals, restaking) and how they operate and grow.
• Intimate understanding of the DeFi landscape and emerging trends.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to prioritize.
• Ability to operate autonomously and across multiple time zones.

Bonus Points

• You have a crypto-native network.
• Direct experience working with or running a DeFi protocol.
• You’ve served as a delegate in a large DAO.
• Closer mindset - you can point to times when you’ve closed difficult deals.
• You have a technical or mathematical background and can disseminate technical topics to non-technical audiences.

Benefits and Perks

• Remote first - work from anywhere in the US & CAN!
• Regular in-person company retreats and cross-country "office visit" perk
• 100% paid medical, dental and vision premiums for employees
• Laptop, monitor, keyboard and mouse setup provided
• $1,500 WFH stipend
• Monthly reimbursement for home internet, phone, and cellular data
• Unlimited vacation
• 100% paid parental leave of 12 weeks
• Fertility benefits
• Opportunity for incentive compensation

Please note at this time our hiring is reserved for potential employees who are able to work within the contiguous United States and Canada. Should you need alternative accommodations, please note that in your application.

The national pay range for this role is $130,000 - $150,000 base plus additional On Target Earnings potential by level and equity in the company. Our salary ranges are based on paying competitively for a company of our size and industry, and are one part of many compensation, benefits and other reward opportunities we provide. Individual pay rate decisions are based on a number of factors, including qualifications for the role, experience level, skill set, and balancing internal equity relative to peers at the company.  

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