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### 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.