VP Business Development and Adoption Full Time

Your opportunity:

Make a real difference in the blockchain industry! Build the change you want to see.

The VP Adoption & Business Development is a critical leadership role responsible for driving the adoption, growth, and commercial success of the Cardano ecosystem. The role will develop and execute the foundation’s commercial strategy, build strategic partnerships, foster developer and enterprise adoption, and cultivate a thriving community around the blockchain. This role requires a deep understanding of blockchain technology and Web3 landscape, a strong business acumen, exceptional leadership skills, and a passion for the decentralized future. In this role you will be having the following responsibilities:

Commercial Strategy Development and Execution:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive commercial strategy aligned with the foundation’s mission and technical roadmap.
• Identify key market opportunities, target audiences (developers, enterprises, users), and potential revenue streams (where applicable and aligned with the foundation’s model).
• Monitor the execution of the commercial goals, GKRs, and metrics to track progress and measure success.
• Support the development and execution of go-to-market plans for key initiatives and features.
• Direct responsibility for the commercial P&L cycle, including budget planning, financial forecasting, and the delivery of cost-effective growth strategies.

Partnership Development and Management:

• Identify, cultivate, and manage strategic partnerships with businesses, other Layer 1/Layer 2 protocols, infrastructure providers, exchanges, and other relevant organizations to drive adoption and expand the Cardano Web3 ecosystem and foster interoperability.
• Negotiate and finalize partnership agreements, ensuring mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key partners, fostering long-term collaboration.

Enterprise Adoption:

• Identify and target enterprise use cases for the Cardano Blockchain technology.
• Develop strategies and materials to educate and onboard enterprises.
• Build relationships with key decision-makers within target enterprises.
• Work with the technical team to address enterprise-specific requirements and concerns regarding blockchain integrations and Web3 adoption.

Community Building and Engagement:

• Participate in industry events, conferences, and meetups to promote the platform and engage with the global Web3 community.
• Foster a positive and collaborative community culture.

Marketing and Communications Oversight:

• Collaborate with the marketing and communications teams to develop and execute effective marketing campaigns, content strategies, and public relations initiatives.
• Ensure consistent and impactful messaging across all communication channels.
• Build brand awareness and enhance the reputation of the Cardano Foundation within the broader Web3 landscape.

Legal and Compliance:

• Work closely with legal counsel to ensure all commercial activities comply with relevant regulations and legal frameworks.
• Team Leadership, Management & Coaching
• Lead and directly manage two high-performing, global teams by setting clear performance goals, KPIs, and standards for excellence.
• Actively mentor and coach team members, cultivating a high-resilience, performance-driven sales culture and supporting the professional development of strong salespeople and adoption specialists.
• Ensure seamless collaboration and knowledge transfer between the internal teams, maximizing pipeline velocity and strategic alignment across all commercial activities.

Your story:

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Finance, Computer Science, or a related field. An advanced degree (MBA or Master’s) is highly preferred.
• Minimum of 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in commercial roles, preferably within the technology, SaaS, or blockchain/cryptocurrency industries.
• Exceptional leadership experience in managing, mentoring, and coaching high-performing, revenue-focused sales or business development teams globally.
• Deep understanding of blockchain technology, particularly Layer 1 protocols, their architecture, and their potential applications.
• Proven track record of developing and executing successful commercial strategies that drive adoption and growth.
• Extensive experience in building and managing strategic partnerships with diverse organizations.
• Strong understanding of developer ecosystems and experience in fostering developer adoption.
• Experience in engaging with enterprise clients and understanding their needs.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Exceptional leadership, team management, and motivational skills.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic, and evolving environment.
• Passion for the decentralized web and the potential of blockchain technology.
• Fluency in English is essential. Additional language skills (especially German, given the location) are a plus.

Personal Attributes:

• Strategic thinker with a results-oriented mindset.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent networking and relationship-building abilities.
• Highly adaptable and resilient.
• Strong ethical standards and integrity.

Your impact:

Drive Ecosystem Growth & Commercial Success: Directly lead the expansion of the Cardano ecosystem by developing and executing a robust commercial strategy, significantly accelerating adoption across developers, enterprises, and users.

Forge Strategic & Lasting Partnerships: Cultivate and manage high-value relationships with key industry players, protocols, and institutions, ensuring mutually beneficial outcomes that solidify Cardano’s position as a leading blockchain.

Shape Cardano’s Decentralized Future: Serve as a pivotal leader in translating the Foundation’s mission and technical roadmap into tangible real-world applications, fostering a thriving community and boosting global awareness and reputation for the decentralized web.

About us

The Cardano Foundation is an independent, Swiss-based not-for-profit organization. The Foundation is tasked with advancing the public digital infrastructure Cardano and works to anchor it as a utility for financial and social systems, thus empowering the digital architects of the future.

The Foundation facilitates the worldwide advancement of Cardano in enterprise applications. It develops infrastructure tooling—including where there may not be an immediate commercial use case—plus strengthens operational resilience, and drives diversity of on-infrastructure use cases as well as the development of sound and representative governance.

Another significant part of the Cardano Foundation’s mission is to engage with and support the Cardano community. The Foundation assists the development of tools the community can use to leverage Cardano to solve problems in new ways.

The Cardano Foundation has incredible employees from over 24 nationalities, across 3 continents, working together to grow the Foundation.
Here at the Cardano Foundation we are transparent, inclusive, passionate and innovative. We aim to have a positive impact on global change and breed a harmonious working environment for our employees to flourish.

Benefits: 

• Embrace Flexibility & Freedom: Enjoy the benefits of remote work with the flexibility to tailor your hours that best supports your productivity, while staying aligned with the team.
• Collaborative Culture: We foster a collaborative remote environment where ideas flow freely and everyone feels empowered to contribute.
• Thrive in a Learning Culture: We believe in continuous growth and development. Every employee receives an annual learning budget to invest in their professional journey.
• Shape Your Career: We provide opportunities for growth and encourage you to continuously evolve your skills and expertise within a supportive environment.
• Make a Real Impact: Your work will directly contribute to the development and adoption of Cardano, shaping the future of blockchain technology and its real-world applications.
• Team Building & Fun: Connect with your colleagues and strengthen team bonds through a dedicated annual team building event, as well as a departmental team-building day. Enjoy an extra day off for your birthday and additional days off to celebrate milestone work anniversaries.
• Work with Passionate People: Surround yourself with a team of dedicated individuals who are driven by a shared passion for blockchain technology and its potential to change the world.

Equal opportunities employer:

The Cardano Foundation strives to provide a diverse, inclusive and welcoming working environment. We are committed to being a discrimination free organization – including discrimination free space with regards to age, religion, race, nationality/ethnic origin, disability, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Cardano Foundation does not accept any applications from recruitment agencies for this position. We refuse any responsibility for unsolicited applications as well as any associated fees. Unsolicited applications will be treated as direct applications regardless of the channel through which we receive them.