We are looking for someone US-based to join the Business Development team and drive Axelar’s efforts to build and expand strategic partnerships within the DeFi ecosystem. You will be responsible for identifying, engaging, and building relationships with DeFi projects and partners, and driving new business opportunities. This is an individual contributor role.

Your responsibilities

• Build and manage strategic partnerships to expand Axelar’s interoperability network. Identify and engage with DeFi projects that can benefit from Axelar network.
• Systematically develop relationships, taking them to the next level through creative, tailored solutions across diverse partnerships and collaborations. Leverage market insights to continuously devise new ways to collaborate.
• Manage day-to-day business development activities, including lead generation, client interactions, pipeline tracking, and account planning. Structure proposals and negotiate contracts with partners.
• Conduct in-depth research on the latest DeFi trends. Stay up-to-date with new developments and identify opportunities for Axelar to innovate and expand in the DeFi space.
• Monitor and support partners through the technical implementation process, ensuring a smooth and successful integration.
• Collect partner feedback and share insights with the business development team for consolidation and analysis. Ensure the feedback loop strengthens product development and business strategies.
• Collaborate with internal teams, including Marketing, Engineering, and Developer Relations to shape Axelar’s business development strategy. Provide input into product development based on feedback from partners and market needs.

Your profile

• Must be DeFi native, and live on-chain.
• Previous experience in a BD role in Web3 is a plus.
• Deep understanding of the interoperability landscape is a plus.
• Ability to think strategically about the DeFi and the Web3 ecosystem and how Axelar’s technology can provide value to partners and users.
• Ability to communicate complex technical and non-technical concepts to diverse stakeholders. Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, remote-first environment with a high degree of ownership, while also collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.

Why us?

• Autonomous, distributed environment with the opportunity to work collaboratively in a diverse team worldwide.
• The scope to contribute to high impact work and make a difference in a decentralized protocol.
• The chance to challenge yourself whilst learning heaps of stuff in the process.
• Unlimited time off throughout the year to rest and recharge.
• Competitive compensation with stock options, experiencing growth from the initial phase.

About us

Interop Labs builds interoperability technology.

Interoperability between blockchains is crucial technology infrastructure for the growth of Web3 and the advancement of internet technology as a whole. Interop Labs is the initial developer of Axelar Network - the programmable Web3 interoperability platform, scaling the next generation of internet applications to billions of users. Axelar network’s key attributes are programmability, security and scalability.

Axelar has raised over $100 million from leading VCs including DCVC, Galaxy, Polychain, Dragonfly, Coinbase, and more. Its diverse partner ecosystem spans industry heavyweights such as Ripple, Circle, dYdX, Uniswap, JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank, Microsoft, and others—underscoring Axelar’s unique market position and opportunity in unifying stacks between traditional finance and decentralized ecosystems. Axelar protocol was founded by Sergey Gorbunov (MIT PhD, UWaterloo Professor) and Georgios Vlachos (MIT MSc, Math Gold Medalist), who previously helped to build and launch Algorand.