Senior Manager, Ecosystem Growth & Builder Programs

stellar; United States; On-site; USD 160,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental & vision coverage

Flexible time off

Parental leave

Gym reimbursement

Life & ADD insurance

Disability insurance

401K with match

Job summary

The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) is seeking a Senior Manager, Ecosystem Growth to lead a team that finds, funds, and grows founders building on Stellar. You will own builder support programs, including the Stellar Community Fund, and drive strategy, mentoring, and resources to accelerate traction.

Reporting to the VP of Ecosystem, you will define measurable outcomes, partner across departments, and scale programs through AI-enabled processes in a lean environment.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in ecosystem growth, venture or accelerator programs, grant programs, or startup and developer programs, including 3+ years managing people.
• 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) with credibility with technical founders.
• Strong judgment about early-stage teams and products; ability to spot traction and allocate resources.
• Comfort with data: you define metrics, build dashboards, and adjust based on evidence.
• Operational discipline: you design processes that scale and know when to retire outdated ones.
• Clear written and spoken communication with executives, founders, and a public community.
• Comfort with ambiguity; this is a lean organization and you may define the path as needed.

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

Skills

Ecosystem growth

Program management

People management

Blockchain/crypto knowledge

Data-driven decision making

Job description

The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) is seeking a Senior Manager, Ecosystem Growth to lead a team that finds, funds, and grows founders building on Stellar. You will own builder support programs, including the Stellar Community Fund, and drive strategy, mentoring, and resources to accelerate traction.

Reporting to the VP of Ecosystem, you will define measurable outcomes, partner across departments, and scale programs through AI-enabled processes in a lean environment.