Lead Ondo Finance's research, producing high-quality reports and guiding teams on macroeconomic and regulatory landscapes in the tokenized asset space.
Head of Research
About the company
Hi, we're Ondo Finance. Our mission is to provide institutional-grade, blockchain-enabled investment products and services. We have both a technology arm that develops decentralized finance technology and an asset management arm that creates and manages tokenized funds. We were the first company to tokenize exposure to US Treasuries and have since expanded into several other assets. We are also focused on incubating protocols that can support both tokenized real-world assets and traditional crypto.
Founded by folks from Goldman Sachs's Digital Assets Team, we’re backed by some of the best investors in the world, including Founders Fund, Coinbase Ventures, Pantera Capital, Tiger Global, and more. We are currently the leaders in the space in terms of AUM and are well-capitalized to continue growing the firm. We're fully remote, with team members across the U.S.
About the role
We’re hiring a Head of Research to lead Ondo Finance’s intellectual positioning at the forefront of the tokenization and digital asset ecosystem. This role is central to shaping the thought leadership, macro perspective, and policy analysis that underpin our external messaging and internal decision-making.
As the Head of Research, you will spearhead the development of in-depth institutional reports, market commentary and foundational whitepapers. You’ll guide a cross-functional content strategy spanning asset tokenization, decentralized finance, regulation and macroeconomics.
The ideal candidate is both a practitioner and a strategic thinker, capable of translating complex developments into influential, data-driven narratives.
Responsibilities
Strategic Research Leadership
- Develop and own the research roadmap aligned with Ondo’s product priorities, market position, and institutional outreach.
- Produce high-caliber original research across topics such as tokenized securities, market structure, and the evolving regulatory landscape.
- Collaborate with external stakeholders including institutions, policymakers, and academics to co-author timely, credible publications.
- Provide expert guidance to internal teams on industry trends, regulatory shifts, and economic signals relevant to product and strategy.
Thought Leadership & Market Commentary
- Represent Ondo Finance at industry events, in media interviews, and on panels as a leading voice in tokenization and digital finance.
- Author essays, and investor-facing briefings that reinforce Ondo’s position as a category leader.
- Translate complex financial topics into accessible insights for a range of audiences, from policymakers to market participants.
Cross-functional Influence
- Partner with Marketing, BD, Product, and Strategy to align messaging and campaigns with emerging research and market narratives.
- Build and mentor a lean research function over time, including managing external research contributors and collaborators.
- Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on market positioning and macro/regulatory context.
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience in financial research, economic policy, institutional investing, or digital assets, with a focus on writing and strategic analysis.
- Deep understanding of tokenization, blockchain-based financial systems, and capital markets.
- Proven record of publishing influential, high-quality research or policy content for institutional audiences.
- Strong network and credibility across financial institutions, think tanks, regulators, or academic communities.
- Exceptional writing and analytical skills, with an ability to connect data, regulation, and market behavior into clear and authoritative narratives.
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Economics, Finance, Public Policy, or a related field. Advanced degrees (e.g., MBA, JD, PhD) are a plus.
- Experience working in dynamic, fast-paced environments with high autonomy.
Nice to haves
- Previous experience in a leadership role at an investment firm or crypto-native research team.
- Understanding of emerging regulation in the U.S., EU, Middle East and Asia related to digital assets and financial innovation.
- Familiarity with data analysis tools, blockchain analytics platforms, or economic modeling.
- Media training or experience as a public speaker or representative at major industry events.
What we offer
- Competitive compensation including salary, future token rights, and/or equity (according to your preferences) — we're well-funded and believe that great talent deserves great compensation
- Full benefits (medical, vision, and dental) and flexible vacation policy (PTO)
- Small remote-first team across many countries — you'll be an early team member helping shape our vision, culture, and design practices
- A+ colleagues — our team includes alumni from: Goldman Sachs, Blackrock, Two Sigma, Bridgewater, SpaceX, AWS, Meta, Google, McKinsey, Circle, Uniswap
- Best-in-class investors — we are proud to be backed by leading crypto experts and VCs, including Pantera Capital, Founders Fund and Coinbase Ventures
Top Skills
Blockchain
Data Analysis Tools
Economic Modeling
Similar Jobs
Software
The role leads research and innovation in technology standards, ensuring alignment with business strategies and fostering relationships with global standards bodies. Responsibilities include guiding research programs, influencing standards, and mentoring teams.
Top Skills:
AILicensingNetworksPatenting
Artificial Intelligence
Lead the research function at Firecrawl to enhance core technology in search and information retrieval, ensuring output is production-ready. Build and manage a high-output research team and collaborate with engineering to directly impact product development.
Top Skills:
Information RetrievalMachine LearningRankingSearch
Financial Services • PropTech • Quantitative Trading
Lead and build a high-performance research operation that extracts early, high-signal insights across public/private markets, designs real-time information pipelines, originates thematic/trend-driven investment ideas, partners with the Principal to form actionable worldviews, and translates analysis into trading guidance.
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Los Angeles is a global leader in entertainment, so it’s no surprise that many of the biggest players in streaming, digital media and game development call the city home. But the city boasts plenty of non-entertainment innovation as well, with tech companies spanning verticals like AI, fintech, e-commerce and biotech. With major universities like Caltech, UCLA, USC and the nearby UC Irvine, the city has a steady supply of top-flight tech and engineering talent — not counting the graduates flocking to Los Angeles from across the world to enjoy its beaches, culture and year-round temperate climate.
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
