Business Development, US

About the role Business Development, Earn Partnerships at Gauntlet Gauntlet is pioneering the financial infrastructure of tomorrow. Unlike teams that chase isolated point solutions, we design and deliver best-in-class vault products across the entire on-chain finance stack. Our platform currently safeguards over $1.5 trillion in client value, serving major fintechs, neobanks, digital asset exchanges, institutional capital allocators, and an expanding base of traditional asset managers. Our team blends traditional finance rigor with crypto-native execution, building sophisticated, durable products for institutions embracing on-chain finance. This role is central to that mission. What you'll do You will command the full lifecycle of high-value Earn partnerships for our most strategic vault solutions. Your primary focus will be originating and closing enterprise-grade deals that route deposits into Aera and Gauntlet-curated Morpho and Kamino vaults. You will engage directly with Tier-1 and Tier-2 fintechs, exchanges, wallets, and DeFi protocols, balancing the expansion of existing pipeline with the creation of new, greenfield opportunities. A core part of your mandate is to be first to market in promising segments. Discovery and qualification will precede every proposal. You will analyze counterparties rigorously, structure and negotiate deals to secure attractive economics, and decline opportunities that do not align with Gauntlet's standards. Upon signing, you will own post-sale activation, ensuring partners successfully integrate and realize value from Gauntlet's technology. You will work closely with Product, Engineering, Data Science, and Finance teams to tailor positioning and validate hypotheses for specific verticals. Maintaining disciplined pipeline management-stage hygiene, forecasting, and CRM accuracy-is essential. You will also serve as Gauntlet's public representative at industry conferences and events as travel requires. Ultimately, you will own the booked pipeline from initial contact through funded outcomes. What success looks like During your first 30 days, you will immerse yourself in Gauntlet's vault products and existing Earn partnerships. You will meet with internal stakeholders across Product, Engineering, Data Science, and Finance. You will assume responsibility for an initial book of opportunities and leads, forming a clear assessment of which deals advance, which require re-qualification, and which should be closed. In your first 3 to 6 months, you will run an independent pipeline end-to-end. You will structure and negotiate at least one partnership to closure or move advanced opportunities through rigorous negotiation phases. Simultaneously, you will source and initiate early greenfield discovery in new markets. Within your first year, you will manage a full book of partnerships operating at quota. You will have multiple signed and funded programs in production. You will be recognized internally and externally as Gauntlet's primary strategic voice within fintech and exchange ecosystems. You will also contribute repeatable playbooks that streamline future deal cycles and reduce time-to-close. What you bring You bring a minimum of five years of professional work experience, including at least three years owning complex, multi-stakeholder deals in fintech, banking, or financial services. You have a documented history of structuring and negotiating partnership economics rather than only generating introductions. You are comfortable sourcing opportunities independently through outbound efforts and converting first-mover deals within crypto and DeFi markets. You possess working knowledge of crypto and DeFi, enabling you to clearly explain onchain yield concepts to audiences without technical backgrounds. You operate with a high degree of autonomy and meticulous follow-through. You are willing to travel to conferences and industry events as necessary to advance Gauntlet's presence. Nice to have You maintain a robust network of contacts across fintechs, exchanges, digital asset platforms, and financial institutions. You are an active user of DeFi protocols and can describe specific tools and your rationale for using them. You speak languages that are strategically relevant to emerging fintech regions, such as Spanish or Portuguese. Benefits & Perks Gauntlet offers a remote-first work model, allowing you to work from anywhere in the United States or Canada. You will have access to regular in-person company retreats and a cross-country office visit perk. Your compensation package includes 100% paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for employees, a $1,000 work-from-home stipend, and monthly reimbursement for home internet, phone, and cellular data. You are entitled to unlimited vacation time and 100% paid parental leave of 12 weeks. Fertility benefits are also included. This role features an incentive compensation component. Key facts

Location: Remote (New York City / San Francisco / Los Angeles /)

Engagement: Full-time. Base

Compensation: $180,000 per year, based on 2025 data. What you'll do - Architect new greenfield partnerships, positioning Gauntlet as a first mover in key markets. - Orchestrate discovery for high-value Earn opportunities across Aera, Morpho, and Kamino vaults. - Negotiate deal structures that protect unit economics while securing commitments from major exchanges and wallets. - Drive post-signature activation to ensure partners fully use Gauntlet vault products. - Collaborate with Engineering and Data Science to tailor solutions for specific verticals. - Maintain rigorous pipeline hygiene through precise forecasting and CRM discipline. - Represent Gauntlet at industry conferences to strengthen brand presence as required. - Own the booked pipeline from intake through funded outcomes. Requirements - Five years of professional experience, including three years managing complex deals in fintech or banking. - Demonstrated ability to structure and negotiate partnership terms while declining misaligned opportunities. - Proven capacity to source opportunities independently and convert them in crypto or DeFi markets. - Skill in explaining onchain yield mechanisms to non-crypto-native audiences. - Ability to operate autonomously with disciplined execution. - Willingness to travel for conferences and