Director of Research

About the role

This Director of Research position involves shaping the long-term scientific research agenda for the Stellar Development Foundation. The role requires identifying both practical challenges aligned with the organization's mission and fundamental open problems within computer science and decentralized systems. This leadership will guide internal research efforts and community engagement, ensuring that the foundation's scientific contributions support its goal of equitable financial access.

A key aspect of this role is fostering strong academic and industry partnerships. The Director will build collaborations with researchers, laboratories, and institutions to promote joint publications, open-source contributions, and shared knowledge advancement within and beyond the Stellar ecosystem. The position balances innovation with exploration, overseeing a diverse portfolio of research, from mission-critical applications to blue-sky investigations in areas like cryptography and distributed systems.

The Director of Research will build and support a mission-driven research team, recruiting and developing diverse scientists from various career stages. This includes creating an environment where different perspectives and research styles can thrive. The role also ensures that research outcomes inform product strategy, ecosystem standards, and protocol development, strengthening Stellar's role in building accessible financial infrastructure. Engagement with the global research community through conferences, workshops, and publications is also expected.

The base salary for this role is between $210,000 and $365,000, with the final amount dependent on the candidate's experience, skills, and location.

Skills that matter here

• Cryptography: The role involves overseeing research efforts that include cryptography, ensuring rigorous thinking leads to practical outcomes.
• Research Leadership: This position requires leading scientific and technological research, defining the agenda, and guiding growth with purpose and depth.
• Mechanism Design: The role includes overseeing research in incentive design, which is a core component of mechanism design, to advance the state of the art.
• Team Building: The Director will recruit and develop a diverse group of research scientists and applied researchers, creating a supportive environment for them.
• Financial Inclusion: The core mission of the role is to advance equitable access to the global financial system through blockchain technology and contribute to discourse on financial inclusion.
• Distributed Systems: The role involves overseeing research in distributed systems and contributing to broader conversations and thought leadership in this area.

Who this role suits

• You have a PhD in Computer Science, Cryptography, Distributed Systems, or a related field.
• You possess over ten years of research experience in either academia or industry, with a track record of significant contributions.
• You have demonstrated experience leading research programs or teams, including setting strategy and managing multi-year initiatives.
• You are committed to mentoring researchers and fostering a collaborative and inclusive research culture.

From the employer

Responsibilities

• Shape the research vision: Define and lead a long-term scientific research agenda that supports SDF’s mission while contributing to broader conversations in computer science and decentralized systems.
• Identify both mission-aligned applied challenges and foundational open problems to guide internal research and community engagement.
• Foster deep academic and industry collaboration: Build strong, lasting partnerships with top researchers, labs, and institutions.
• Support initiatives that lead to joint publications, open-source contributions, and shared advancement of knowledge—both within and beyond the Stellar ecosystem.
• Balance innovation with exploration: Oversee a portfolio of research efforts ranging from mission-critical applications to blue-sky investigations in areas such as cryptography, distributed systems, and incentive design.
• Champion rigorous thinking that leads to practical outcomes and advances the state of the art.
• Build and support a strong, mission-driven research team: Recruit and develop a diverse group of research scientists and applied researchers, from early-career PhD interns to experienced domain experts.
• Create a supportive environment where a range of perspectives, backgrounds, and research styles can thrive.
• Translate insights into real-world impact: Ensure that research outcomes inform product strategy, ecosystem standards, and protocol development—helping strengthen Stellar’s role in building accessible, resilient financial infrastructure.
• Engage with the global research community: Represent SDF at conferences, academic workshops, and standards bodies.
• Contribute to the broader discourse on decentralized systems and financial inclusion through publications, presentations, and thought leadership.

Requirements

• PhD in Computer Science, Cryptography, Distributed Systems, or a related field.
• 10+ years of research experience in academia (e.g., tenured or tenure-track faculty) or industry (e.g., senior research scientist or director-level role).
• Strong track record of high-impact contributions, such as peer-reviewed publications, patents, open-source projects, or foundational technical work.
• Demonstrated experience leading research programs or teams, including setting strategy and managing multi-year initiatives.
• Experience working in both academic and applied research settings, with an ability to translate deep technical insights into practical impact.
• Familiarity with open-source software development practices and/or participation in open standards communities (e.g., IETF, W3C).
• Proven ability to collaborate across disciplines and institutions, including with academic labs, research consortia, and industry partners.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage technical and non-technical stakeholders, represent the organization publicly, and contribute to technical and policy discussions.
• Commitment to mentoring and supporting researchers across career stages, and to fostering a collaborative and inclusive research culture.
• Interest in or experience with the societal, economic, and ethical dimensions of decentralized systems, particularly in the context of financial access and inclusion.

Conditions

• We offer competitive pay with a base salary range for this position of $210,000 - $365,000 depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
• In addition, we offer lumen-denominated grants along with the following perks and benefits.