Partnerships Lead, DeFi

OP Labs is behind Optimism, an open-source blockchain network that underpins the next wave of financial infrastructure. Their OP Stack is used by hundreds of companies, from major enterprises like Sony, Coinbase, and Uniswap, to innovative startups, enabling them to launch their own blockchains and onboard users to the blockchain. Currently, the OP Stack accounts for over 65% of Layer 2 activity on Ethereum. The company is a small, remote-friendly team primarily centered in NYC, and has raised $178M from investors including a16z and Paradigm.

Introduction

OP Labs is seeking a Partnerships Lead for DeFi to accelerate Total Value Locked (TVL) growth across OP Stack chains. This role involves setting the overall DeFi strategy for the OP Stack, managing key relationships with leading protocols, and executing high-ROI initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Own relationships with top-tier DeFi protocol teams, serving as the primary point of contact, conducting quarterly business reviews, proactively removing blockers, and ensuring DeFi partnerships achieve joint OP and partner objectives.
• Contribute to OP Mainnet and the OP Stack DeFi strategy and execution by managing the asset pipeline and collaborating with partners to create new markets, vaults, and sustainable DeFi yield strategies.
• Design and deploy milestone-based incentive programs, track grant ROI, and work with internal partners (Growth, Data, Product) to optimize incentive strategies for sustainable business outcomes.
• Lead strategic initiatives and thought leadership for the OP Stack DeFi ecosystem, including creating playbooks for TVL growth, building narrative and content to showcase ecosystem achievements, representing Optimism at industry events, and identifying emerging trends and opportunities.
• Success in this role means achieving $1B TVL across 3+ OP Stack chains within 12 months.

Requirements

• 4–7 years of experience in DeFi partnerships or protocol operations.
• Deep understanding of the EVM DeFi ecosystem, including protocol mechanics and onchain behaviors of various user archetypes (yield-seekers, liquidity providers, farmers/degens, institutions).
• Proven experience with tokenomics and incentive programs, coupled with strong business intuition to select incentive campaigns that drive durable outcomes.
• Hands-on product/technical fluency, demonstrating an obsession with understanding DeFi protocols, applications, and the infrastructure necessary for a successful DeFi ecosystem.
• Strong cross-functional execution and negotiation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with an executive-level presence.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• Fully paid medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 4% 401K match.
• Supportive team environment that values individual accomplishments.
• Diverse team background and a collaborative culture.
• Remote-friendly with an office in NYC for in-person collaboration.
• Opportunity to work with a long-term vision; founders have been scaling Ethereum since 2015.

About Company

OP Labs is behind Optimism, an open-source blockchain network that underpins the next wave of financial infrastructure. Their OP Stack is used by hundreds of companies, from major enterprises like Sony, Coinbase, and Uniswap, to innovative startups, enabling them to launch their own blockchains and onboard users to the blockchain. Currently, the OP Stack accounts for over 65% of Layer 2 activity on Ethereum. The company is a small, remote-friendly team primarily centered in NYC, and has raised $178M from investors including a16z and Paradigm.

How to Apply

All official communication will come from an @oplabs.co email address or a verified LinkedIn profile. OP Labs will never ask for payment, banking information, or personal identification details during the hiring process. All current openings are listed on their official careers page. If you have any doubts about a communication claiming to be from OP Labs, contact people@oplabs.co to verify authenticity.