Lead Architect - Digital Assets

MLabs Ltd; Paris; Hybrid; EUR 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

MLabs Ltd on behalf of a leading European financial institution seeks a Lead Architect – Digital Assets to bridge traditional capital markets with DeFi. You will own end-to-end architecture for tokenised issuance, trading, settlement, and collateral management platforms, guiding a zero-to-one build with security, resilience, and regulatory alignment.

You will craft cross-chain topologies, on-chain compliance models, and custody solutions, while collaborating with product, legal, and regulatory

Qualifications

• Seven years of solution architecture experience, including at least three years on DLT/blockchain in high-value, 24/7 financial systems.
• Deep fluency with EVM and permissioned chains (Canton, Besu).
• Hands-on experience with regulated security token standards and on-chain compliance models.
• Strong capital markets knowledge to design system integrations.
• Ability to evaluate and integrate AI tooling into the development lifecycle with proper risk controls.
• Excellent leadership and stakeholder management across technical, business, legal, and regulatory domains.
• Bachelor’s degree in CS/Engineering; cloud/blockchain certifications are advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end architecture for digital asset solutions, integrating DLT with trading, clearing, settlement, custody, and CSD.
• Design cross-chain topology combining permissioned chains for institutions with public chains for DeFi distribution.
• Define on-chain compliance frameworks and token standards, KYC wallets, and real-time AML considerations.
• Architect custody models around MPC solutions, including BYOC support for institutional clients.
• Establish secure-by-design standards, threat modelling, and security architecture prior to security lead onboarding.
• Govern AI-assisted software delivery with coding assistants, scaffolding, and AI-driven test suites within risk guardrails.
• Collaborate with product, legal, regulatory, clearing, CSD, and client groups to align with MiFIR, MiCA, and DLT Pilot Regime.
• Guide team evolution from build to production, remaining hands-on during critical incidents.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Cloud or blockchain certifications (advantage)

Tools

EVM

Hyperledger Besu

Canton Network

ERC-3643 / T-REX

Job description

We are hiring on behalf of our client, an established, leading European regulated financial institution who is expanding its digital assets capabilities to build the next generation of financial market infrastructure. The organization is seeking a Lead Architect – Digital Assets to lead a zero-to-one build, bridging traditional capital markets with decentralised finance (DeFi).

This mandate involves architecting the core platform behind initial tokenised offerings across two major live initiatives currently in design:

1. Tokenised Issuance, Trading, and Settlement Platform: Supporting equities, ETFs, and bonds with a 24/7 central limit order book, fractional trading, CCP-cleared trades, and end-of-day atomic DvP settlement on-chain.
2. Tokenised Collateral-Management Platform: Designed for sovereign bonds to enable real-time repo, CCP-margin eligibility, and DeFi distribution of government securities through gated lending venues.

The architecture is built on core principles: the token serves as the direct financial instrument, one ISIN corresponds to one ledger, and tokenisation is driven directly by the CSD. The Lead Architect will turn these principles into a concrete, secure, resilient, and auditable infrastructure.

• Architecture & System Design: Own the end-to-end architecture for digital asset solutions, seamlessly integrating distributed ledger technology (DLT) with traditional market infrastructure (trading, clearing, settlement, custody, and CSD).
• Cross-Chain & Network Topology: Design cross-chain topology combining permissioned chains for institutional and CCP operations (e.g., Hyperledger Besu, Canton Network) with public chains for DeFi distribution (Ethereum / L2).
• On-Chain Compliance & Governance: Define regulatory compliance frameworks on-chain, utilizing regulated security-token standards (ERC-3643 / T-REX), KYC-whitelisted wallets, automated transfer restrictions, real-time AML screening (Chainalysis / Elliptic), and transaction reporting under MiFIR.
• Custody & Key Management: Architect robust custody models around MPC solutions (e.g., Fireblocks, Taurus), incorporating hybrid frameworks to support bring-your-own-custody (BYOC) for institutional clients.
• Security & Quality Standards: Establish code quality, code review, testing, and secure-by-design standards. Conduct threat modelling and lead security architecture prior to onboarding a dedicated security lead.
• AI-Augmented Software Delivery: Define, implement, and govern an AI-assisted software delivery process using coding assistants, smart-contract scaffolding, and AI-generated test suites while enforcing strict risk and review guardrails.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with product, legal, regulatory, clearing, CSD, and client working groups to maintain alignment with business objectives and regulatory frameworks (e.g., DLT Pilot Regime, MiFID II, MiCA).
• Technical & Operational Leadership: Make key build/buy/partner evaluations on blockchain networks, custody, and audit solutions. Guide team evolution as products move from build to operational phases, maintaining hands-on involvement during critical incidents.

Requirements

• Experience: Minimum 7 years of solution architecture experience, including at least 3 years dedicated to DLT or blockchain projects within high-value, 24/7 financial systems.
• DLT & Distributed Systems Expertise: Deep fluency with EVM and permissioned chains (e.g., Canton, Hyperledger Besu).
• Regulated Token Standards: Hands-on experience with regulated security token standards (ERC-3643 / T-REX or equivalent), on-chain compliance models, and security considerations around smart contracts and cross-chain bridges.
• Capital Markets Knowledge: Strong working knowledge of capital markets settlement mechanisms (delivery-versus-payment, CSD operations, CCP/clearing) to effectively design system integrations.
• AI Engineering Competency: Proven ability to evaluate, select, and integrate AI tooling into the development lifecycle (e.g., testing, scaffolding) while establishing strict guardrails around prompt hygiene, secret security, and license provenance. Ability to specify in-product AI capabilities (e.g., anomaly detection) with proper risk controls.
• Leadership & Communication: Strong decision-making skills and composure under pressure. Excellent stakeholder management skills to bridge technical, business, legal, and regulatory domains.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field. Professional certifications in cloud or blockchain technologies are advantageous.
• Work Arrangement: Openness to work onsite in Paris, France, 4 days per week.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive annual salary (€100,000 - €120,000).
• Key role within a high-visibility, zero-to-one build backed by an established, Tier-1 European financial institution.
• Exposure to cutting-edge capital markets infrastructure and regulatory frameworks (MiCA, DLT Pilot Regime).
• Comprehensive employee benefits package as provided by our client.

Commitment to Equality and Accessibility

At MLabs, we are committed to offer equal opportunities to all candidates. We ensure no discrimination, accessible job adverts, and providing information in accessible formats. Our goal is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace with equal opportunities for all. If you need any reasonable adjustments during any part of the hiring process or you would like to see the job-advert in an accessible format please let us know at the earliest opportunity by emailing [e-mail].

MLabs Ltd collects and processes the personal information you provide such as your contact details, work history, resume, and other relevant data for recruitment purposes only. This information is managed securely in accordance with MLabs Ltd’s Privacy Policy and Information Security Policy, and in compliance with applicable data protection laws. Your data may be shared only with clients and trusted partners where necessary for recruitment purposes. You may request the deletion of your data or withdraw your consent at any time by contacting [e-mail].