Index Industries

Role Description Index Industries is looking for a Head of Partnerships to own and grow our relationships across the fintech and blockchain ecosystem. This is a founding-team-level, startup-phase role reporting directly to the CEO. - Build and execute a partnerships strategy that connects Index Industries to leading fintech and blockchain infrastructure providers, exchanges, and stablecoin issuers. - Originate, negotiate, and close strategic partnerships with companies covering commercial terms, integration scope, and go-to-market alignment. - Serve as the primary relationship owner for key partners, acting as the trusted point of contact across business, product, legal, and compliance stakeholders. - Identify and prioritize partnership opportunities (liquidity, custody, on/off-ramps, stablecoin settlement, exchange listings, co-marketing) that accelerate product and revenue goals. - Work cross-functionally with product, engineering, legal, and compliance to structure deals that are commercially sound and regulatorily defensible. - Represent Index Industries at industry events, conferences, and working groups to build the company's standing in the crypto and fintech partner ecosystem. - Report directly to the CEO on partnership pipeline, deal economics, and market feedback; help shape overall company strategy given your market vantage point. - Build the partnerships function from the ground up, processes, deal templates, CRM/pipeline tracking, and hire/manage team members as the role scales. Qualifications - 7+ years in business development, partnerships, or strategic alliances, with meaningful time spent in crypto, blockchain, or fintech. - Existing, working relationships with decision-makers at major crypto/fintech institutions, direct experience with or connections into Circle, Coinbase, Kraken, or similar regulated exchanges and stablecoin issuers is required. - Track record of sourcing, negotiating, and closing complex commercial partnerships end-to-end. - Fluency in the mechanics of the space: stablecoins, custody, on/off-ramps, exchange integrations, regulatory considerations (money transmission, BSA/AML, state-by-state licensing). - Comfort operating with startup-level ambiguity, you'll build the playbook, not inherit one. - Excellent communication and negotiation skills; equally credible in a room with a CEO, a legal team, or a compliance officer. - A strong personal network in the fintech/crypto space that translates into a warm pipeline from day one. Requirements - Prior experience at a crypto exchange, stablecoin issuer, custodian, or payments company. - Experience building a partnerships or BD function from zero at an early-stage startup. - Familiarity with U.S. money transmission licensing and crypto regulatory frameworks. Benefits - Ground-floor leadership role with direct CEO access and real influence over company strategy. - Competitive salary, meaningful equity, and benefits. - The chance to define what partnerships looks like at a fast-moving fintech/blockchain company, rather than operate inside someone else's playbook.