Current openings at Avalanche Foundation

Location: Cayman Islands (relocation offered) We are seeking a highly analytical and technically adept Economist with deep expertise in macroeconomic modeling, capital markets, and applied econometrics. This role is ideal for someone with experience in global financial institutions (e.g., central banks, IMF, BIS), and who is excited to contribute to the future of decentralized finance. You will be responsible for designing analytical frameworks to monitor the health of on-chain economies, evaluating token sustainability, simulating policy effects, and helping guide decision making. Exposure to crypto markets is strongly preferred, and a passion for applying traditional economic tools to blockchain systems is essential WHAT YOU WILL DO Macro-Modeling for Crypto: Design and maintain dynamic macroeconomic and monetary models tailored to crypto-economic systems, and incentive alignment. Market Surveillance & Capital Flows: Monitor macro-financial risk in real-time by analyzing capital flows, liquidity dynamics, protocol behaviors, and on-chain governance outcomes. Time-Series Analytics: Use advanced econometric methods (e.g., ARIMA, VAR, DSGE, state-space models, Kalman filters) to extract insights from high-frequency blockchain data. Simulation and Scenario Planning: Build simulations to evaluate economic resilience of protocols under stress conditions, including external macro shocks and endogenous network shifts. Tokenomics & Incentive Design: Evaluate and iterate on tokenomic models, ensuring sustainability, utility alignment, and long-run equilibrium outcomes. On-Chain Data Analysis: Develop dashboards and monitoring tools to track the health of the on-chain economy in real time. Research & Publications: Contribute to internal memos, whitepapers, and public research—positioning the Avalanche Foundation as a leader in crypto-economic thought. WHAT YOU WILL BRING Education: Master’s (required) or Ph.D. (preferred) in Economics, Finance, Econometrics, or related field from a top-tier institution Technical Expertise: Strong econometric and quantitative background. Expertise in time series analysis and economic modeling techniques. Proficiency in Python (preferred), R, or Stata for data analysis and model development. Industry Experience: Experience working in or with central banks, the IMF, BIS, or equivalent macro-financial institutions—particularly in monetary policy, financial stability, or capital markets research divisions. Exposure to capital markets, asset pricing, macro-hedge fund strategies, or fixed income analytics is a strong plus. Crypto Literacy: Some exposure to crypto or blockchain markets is required (personal or professional); deep experience in on-chain data, tokenomics, or DeFi research is a major advantage. Understanding of staking, liquidity mining, decentralized governance, and Layer 1 blockchain dynamics. Communication & Insight: Ability to synthesize complex models and insights into actionable strategic guidance. Published academic papers, working papers, or industry whitepapers in macro-finance, crypto-economics, or token design are highly valued. Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to present findings to technical and non-technical audiences.  Preferred Attributes Systems thinker with a deep curiosity for economic design in decentralized environments. Strong foundation in both macroeconomic theory and microeconomic principles. Prior experience building economic models for sovereign currencies, open economies, or financial market behavior. Familiarity with crypto market infrastructure (DEXs, lending protocols, cross-chain bridges, etc.). Desire to work in a fast-paced, collaborative, and deeply technical team. WHY JOIN US? At the Avalanche Foundation, you’ll: Apply your economic expertise at the forefront of a fast-evolving field. Work alongside some of the top minds in crypto, economics, and protocol development. Be part of a mission-driven organization reshaping global financial infrastructure. Apply Today!If you are an experienced Economist eager to shape the frontier of blockchain economics, we’d love to hear from you. *As requested by Avalanche on behalf of Avalanche Foundation #LI-Cayman #LI-MM1

About the Avalanche Foundation Avalanche Foundation advances innovation and adoption while fostering long-term resilience across the Avalanche ecosystem. As a cornerstone of the global Avalanche community, the Foundation supports the development of decentralized applications, DeFi protocols, infrastructure tooling, core research, and more, all that push the boundaries of blockchain technology. As a steward of digital capital and driver of ecosystem growth, Avalanche Foundation fuels a global network of builders by funding innovation, strengthening infrastructure, and empowering technical progress. Our approach is not just precise and agile, but also transparent, ensuring we scale with integrity in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Avalanche is a high-performance, scalable blockchain platform, specifically a 'Layer 0' platform, which means it operates at the base level of the blockchain, renowned for its distinctive tri-chain architecture, comprising the C-Chain, P-Chain, and X-Chain. This design enables a wide range of applications and sovereign blockchain deployments, making Avalanche one of the most robust and extensible ecosystems in Web3. Role Overview We are seeking a high-output and crypto-native Financial Controller (“FC”) to lead all aspects of accounting and financial control for Avalanche Foundation. The FC will play a pivotal in delivering timely and accurate financials, maintaining rigorous internal controls, and scaling systems to support dynamic, global operations. The ideal candidate combines traditional accounting excellence with fluency in digital assets and is someone who thrives in a small high-functioning team, within a fast-paced, high-accountability, highly collaborative environment. This is both a strategic and very hands-on role. The incumbent will ‘lead by doing’ - owning reconciliations, diving into ledger entries, validating token flows, and setting the gold standard for accounting precision, amongst other responsibilities. This position is based in the Cayman Islands, with relocation support provided where necessary. The FC will manage a focused team, including a dedicated digital assets accounting and cross-functional support, with high leverage and accountability, and will collaborate with both internal stakeholders and global service providers. Key Responsibilities Lead Financial Reporting & Controls: Own the close calendar, lead monthly, quarterly, and annual close cycles, and ensure the accuracy of consolidated financial statements under IFRS. Team Leadership: Build, manage, and mentor a high-performing accounting team. Provide structure, accountability, and clarity to complex workflows involving fiat, crypto, and hybrid transaction types. Digital Asset Oversight: Direct reconciliation and valuation of specific digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and digital tokens, across wallets, custodians, and DeFi protocols. Ensure auditable traceability of token flows, staking, grants, and investments. Continuously evaluate the current state of digital asset accounting, reconciliation controls, and transaction workflows. Identify inefficiencies, reduce manual friction, and implement scalable, tech-forward processes that enable the department to support rapid growth, increasing transaction volume, and rising ecosystem complexity. Operational Accounting Execution: General ledger and journal entry oversight Digital asset subledger control Intercompany eliminations and consolidation Classification of crypto-native transactions (bridging, staking, airdrops, liquidity activity) Internal Control & Audit Readiness: Design and enforce accounting policies and internal controls to protect organizational assets. Act as the lead for external audits, ensuring transparency and compliance. Process Optimization: Develop scalable processes, improve reporting workflows, and integrate accounting systems with operational tools to increase clarity and efficiency. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with legal, treasury, tax, and operations to align financial execution with organizational objectives. Strategic Insight: Deliver decision-ready data and insights for leadership and board reporting. Provide accounting input for token treasury planning and financial modeling. Qualifications CPA (or international equivalent) with 7+ years of progressive experience, including 3+ years of successfully leading, mentoring, and managing a team in high-output environments. Direct experience working with wallets, subledger platforms, and blockchain explorers to trace, reconcile, and classify digital asset transactions. Understanding of token lifecycle accounting and economic substance behind staking, bridging, vesting, and ecosystem funding transactions. Strong knowledge of IFRS and experience applying accounting standards in international or multi-entity environments. Experience in digital assets, DeFi, or fintech, with hands-on exposure to crypto accounting and wallet-level reconciliations. Proficiency with relevant ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite), digital asset platforms (e.g., Bitwave), and blockchain explorers (e.g., Etherscan, Snowtrace). Excellent documentation, organizational, and communication skills. Your work should speak clearly, even when you’re not in the room. High degree of independence, reliability, and attention to detail, and comfort in operating with speed, within ambiguity, and changing priorities in a startup-like setting. Experience owning year-end audits or leading external audit engagements, preferably in a high-growth or multi-entity environment. Ability to apply accounting judgment in novel or ambiguous situations, especially in emerging or poorly defined crypto scenarios. Proactive mindset toward/experience with automation and emerging tools (including AI) to eliminate manual work, surface anomalies, and enhance team leverage. Cultural Expectations We operate at the intersection of finance and decentralization, where clarity, precision, and urgency are of paramount importance. Success in this role requires: Collaborate & Drive Vision: Work highly collaboratively with the rest of the team, consistently and relentlessly moving towards the macro Avalanche Foundation objectives in every decision/action. Ownership: Take full responsibility for outcomes and drive tasks to completion with autonomy and accountability. High-Velocity Execution: Move fast without sacrificing accuracy. Decision-readiness is the standard. Solution-Oriented Thinking: Identify issues early and proactively develop sound solutions. Reliability: In high-stakes situations (ie. audits, month end, and board deadlines) be the person others can count on. Raising the Bar: Proactively assess how things work today and build what they need to become. You don’t wait for volume to break the system before fixing it. Energy & Passion: Bring the appropriate level of intensity and initiative to every task. Self-starter who gets into the weeds, solves complex problems, and elevates those around them. Crypto Fluency: Comfortable operating in on-chain systems, scanning contracts, and working with unfamiliar token structures. Don’t just ‘survive’ in crypto complexity— thrive in it. Why Join Us? Do Work That Matters: This role is not just about numbers, but it’s about playing a crucial part in the Foundation's mission and ensuring the trust of our global community. Be at the Forefront: Apply your accounting expertise to cutting-edge blockchain activity, shaping the future of finance and technology. Be part of a transformative movement in digital finance. Shape the Financial Backbone: Play a foundational role in building scalable, best-in-class accounting systems that underpin one of the most innovative ecosystems. Be a Trusted Steward: Help uphold transparency and integrity in token flows, ecosystem funding, and protocol operations. Competitive Compensation: Strong salary & benefits, discretionary performance-based bonuses, and token plan participation. *As requested by Avalanche on behalf of Avalanche Foundation #LI-Remote #LI-RP1