Independent Contractor Developer Startup Jobs in New York

THE WORK:

RippleX is building a global, multi-entity ecosystem to drive XRPL adoption at scale. This role leads strategic partnerships with independent ecosystem operators, validator networks, and regional hubs across the US, Europe, APAC, and emerging markets, while guiding DeFi strategy through dedicated external partners.

This is a senior, strategic, and hands-on position requiring strong partnership management, DeFi fluency, and the ability to set milestones, drive accountability, and align partner outputs across regions while driving measurable ecosystem growth globally.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

External Entity Partnership Leadership

• Manages strategic relationships with independent ecosystem operators, regional hubs, and partner organizations
• Designs governance frameworks, milestone structures, and accountability models for external partners
• Sets strategic direction while enabling operational autonomy for each entity
• Coordinates cross-entity initiatives to prevent duplication and maximize impact
• Ensures external partner outputs align with RippleX ecosystem priorities

DeFi Ecosystem Development & Partnerships

• Guides DeFi ecosystem strategy across external partners with focus on AMMs, DEXs, lending, and liquidity protocols
• Oversees DeFi initiatives requiring market making, liquidity depth, and OTC trading expertise
• Evaluates and prioritizes DeFi partnership opportunities based on strategic impact

Community Growth & Engagement

• Enables independent operators to build and activate vibrant developer, startup, retail communities across regions
• Guides community engagement strategies, including meetups, hackathons, educational content, and grassroots initiatives
• Ensures external partners maintain quality community standards while allowing cultural and regional adaptation
• Tracks community health metrics, including engagement, sentiment, and conversion to active participants

Multi-Regional Ecosystem Strategy

• Orchestrates ecosystem growth across the US, Europe, APAC, and emerging markets
• Aligns regional strategies with global priorities while respecting local market dynamics
• Identifies white space opportunities and strategic expansion areas

Strategic Partner Governance & Performance Management

• Establishes KPIs, dashboards, and scorecards for external entity performance
• Conducts strategic reviews with ecosystem operator leadership teams
• Identifies performance gaps and implements course corrections
• Ensures milestone achievement and budget accountability across entities

Cross-Functional Leadership & Strategic Planning

• Partners with Product, DevRel, Engineering, Legal, and Executive teams on ecosystem strategy
• Translates ecosystem insights into product and company strategy recommendations
• Produces executive-level reports, opportunity assessments, and long-term roadmaps
• Synthesizes partner, community, and market feedback into actionable insights

WHAT YOU'LL BRING: 

Experience

• 10+ years in ecosystem development, strategic partnerships, DeFi, blockchain infrastructure, or venture building
• 5+ years managing external partnerships, independent organizations, or decentralized networks
• Proven track record leading complex partnership governance and external entity management
• Experience enabling developer programs, accelerators, startup support, and community building at scale
• Director-level experience with strategic decision-making authority
• Deep crypto/blockchain ecosystem experience with strong DeFi fluency

Skills

• Strategic partnership management with ability to influence without direct authority
• Deep DeFi knowledge: AMMs, money markets, DEXs, liquidity dynamics, incentive design
• Experience designing developer programs, grants operations, startup frameworks, and community engagement strategies
• Exceptional governance and framework design capabilities
• Data-driven decision making with strong analytical skills
• Cross-cultural competency and experience managing across geographies
• Outstanding communication and comfort navigating ambiguity

Bonus

• Venture capital, accelerator, or venture studio background
• Foundation governance, nonprofit management, or DAO operations experience
• Direct community management experience (meetups, hackathons, grassroots campaigns)
• Regulatory or policy experience in crypto/blockchain
• Technical background or strong developer ecosystem understanding
• Complex deal structuring experience