Stellar Senior Manager, Ecosystem Growth at Stellar managing a team to find, fund, and grow founders building on the Stellar blockchain. Own builder support programs and improve funding and growth processes.
Responsibilities
Manage and develop a team of senior program managers and community managers: set clear goals, give direct feedback, and help each person grow and own their work end to end
Set the team's strategy, goals, and metrics, and run its planning and reporting rhythm so the work is visible and aligned with the rest of SDF
Own the full builder funnel, from finding founders through selection, funding, launch, and growth, with the Stellar Community Fund at its core
Oversee programs that help funded teams reach users and customers, such as accelerator-style go-to-market help, mentorship, liquidity awards for new financial protocols, and security audit funding for smart contract projects
Partner with Business Development, Developer Relations, Marketing, Legal, and Finance so funding reaches the markets where Stellar is most useful
Define and report the measures that show whether the portfolio is working: launch rates, retention at 3, 6, and 12 months, follow-on funding, on-chain activity, and real user adoption
Use AI tools and automation to scale review, tracking, and reporting without growing headcount at the same rate
Keep the Stellar builder community informed and engaged as programs change, and represent SDF at Meridian, hackathons, and industry events
Qualification
Experience running a fundingComfort with dataOperational disciplineComfort with ambiguityYou've been an early-stage investor
Required
8+ years of experience in ecosystem growth, venture or accelerator programs, grant programs, or startup and developer programs, including 3+ years managing people
A track record of building and developing strong teams: hiring, coaching, setting expectations, and managing performance
Experience running a funding, investment, or accelerator program at scale, including selecting teams, doing diligence, and managing a portfolio after the award
Working knowledge of blockchain and crypto (smart contracts, wallets, DeFi, and on- and off-ramps) at a level that earns credibility with technical founders
Sound judgment about early-stage teams and products: you can spot early signs of traction and make hard calls about where to put resources and when to stop
Comfort with data: you define metrics, build or direct dashboards, and change course when the evidence says to
Operational discipline: you design processes that hold up at high volume and retire the ones that no longer help
Clear written and spoken communication with executives, founders, and a public community
Comfort with ambiguity. SDF is a lean organization, and this role involves defining the path as much as following it
You've built founder or developer communities in emerging markets
You use AI tools heavily in your own work and know how to help a team adopt them
Preferred
You're familiar with the Stellar network, Soroban smart contracts, or the Stellar Community Fund
You've run or worked closely with a blockchain ecosystem fund, accelerator, or grants program
You've been an early-stage investor, founder, or startup advisor
