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Lead Instructor/Trainer (National Security)

Washington DC

Build a Safer World. 

TRM Labs provides blockchain analytics and AI solutions to help law enforcement and national security agencies, financial institutions, and cryptocurrency businesses detect, investigate, and disrupt crypto-related fraud and financial crime. TRM’s blockchain intelligence and AI platforms include solutions to trace the source and destination of funds, identify illicit activity, build cases, and construct an operating picture of threats. TRM is trusted by leading agencies and businesses worldwide who rely on TRM to enable a safer, more secure world for all.

TRM Academy delivers a personalized learning platform where anyone, anywhere can learn at their own pace how to detect and prevent fraud and financial crime involving cryptocurrencies. It is a global community of Learners including the world’s experts in blockchain, crypto compliance, and financial crime investigations. Learners get access to personalized courses, instructional videos, practice exercises, exclusive events, and more.

As a member of the Training Team at TRM, you will be responsible for facilitating the rapid upskill required to educate and empower people to protect the blockchain ecosystem. Our team is made up of master instructors — professionals who can command a room, build engaging content, and teach to every level of expertise. We know how our products are used in the real world and help our customers become humble masters too.

This role is ideal for someone with a national security, intelligence, defense, foreign policy, or law enforcement background who is energized by teaching others, building training programs, and supporting mission outcomes. You will translate complex blockchain intelligence into clear, actionable instruction — from foundational training for new analysts to briefings for senior decision-makers.

You will maintain credibility as a practitioner by conducting ad hoc investigations and staying proficient in evolving crypto-related threats. You’ll collaborate with TRM’s blockchain intelligence experts, engineers, and data scientists to deliver cutting-edge support and training to TRM’s clients and partners.

Clearance strongly preferred (TS/SCI ideal). Travel primarily in the DMV (50–75%).

The impact you'll have here:

Instruction & Enablement (Core)

  • Program-manage and conduct live and virtual training to a global community of learners, including public sector and national security audiences
  • Produce insightful learning modules and deliver them in writing, mixed media, and in-person briefings to TRM's customers
  • Design and deliver interactive instruction (workshops, scenario-based exercises, and hands-on labs) that teaches Learners how to operationalize blockchain intelligence
  • Develop and maintain TRM Academy curriculum, ensuring materials are always up to date, succinct, and leverage the best teaching tools available
  • Create and iterate on assessments (quizzes, capstone exercises, practical investigation labs) that validate proficiency and strengthen learner outcomes
  • Translate emerging threats and real-world learnings into updated training scenarios, playbooks, and course content

Stakeholder Engagement

  • Proactively identify, build, and manage relationships with industry and public sector partners to add new Learners to the TRM Academy cadre
  • Build trust with mission-driven stakeholders by tailoring training to their needs, constraints, and operating environments — including information sensitivity and operational tempo

Practitioner Credibility

  • Investigate complex cases involving phishing, blockchain exploits, hacks, terrorism finance, account takeovers (ATOs), money laundering, SIM swaps, ransomware, sanctions evasion, and other activity associated with illicit use of blockchain technology
  • Maintain a working proficiency in conducting on-chain investigations, illicit activity in cryptocurrency, and money laundering typologies
  • Conduct time-sensitive blockchain analysis for partners and contribute to solutions that allow TRM to scale rapidly and effectively

Travel Requirement

This role requires travel of 50–75%, primarily within the Washington, DC / Maryland / Virginia (DMV) area, with occasional domestic travel beyond the region.

What we're looking for:

Must-have

  • 3–5+ years of experience leading trainings, technical instruction, investigations enablement, or operational briefings
  • Strong teaching presence — ability to command the room, build rapport quickly, and adapt instruction to different levels of expertise (analyst → senior leadership)
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills; able to explain complex concepts clearly and credibly
  • Experience building coursework, curriculum, and appropriate testing / assessment
  • Blockchain, cryptocurrency, or digital assets subject matter expertise or demonstrated ability to master and teach complex technical topics quickly
  • High ownership, strong judgment, and comfort operating in high-stakes environments where time and clarity matter

Clearance (Strongly Preferred)

  • Active U.S. security clearance is strongly preferred. Candidates must be eligible and willing to obtain and maintain a clearance.
  • Clearance level varies by customer need; TS/SCI is highly preferred.
  • Comfortable operating in environments with varying levels of information sensitivity and tailoring instruction appropriately

Strongly preferred (NatSec alignment)

  • Experience in national security environments: DoD, IC, DHS, DOJ, State, Treasury, law enforcement, or defense/IC contracting
  • Experience briefing or enabling stakeholders across interagency and international partner contexts
  • Familiarity with sanctions evasion, threat finance networks, illicit procurement, transnational organized crime, or related mission sets
  • Experience building training for operational teams (not solely academic/classroom instruction)

Life at TRM

We are building a safer world. That promise shows up in how we work every day.

TRM runs fast. Really fast. We’re a high‑velocity, high‑ownership team that expects clarity, follow‑through, and impact. People who thrive here are energized by hard problems, experimentation, and direct feedback. If something takes months elsewhere, it often ships here in days. 

That pace isn’t for everyone. If you are optimizing primarily for consistent work-life balance, use the interview process to pressure-test fit. We want teammates who thrive here, not just survive here.

Leadership Principles

We hire and grow against three leadership principles. They’re the standards for how we operate, treat each other, and make decisions.

  • Impact-Oriented Trailblazer: We put customers first and move with speed, focus, and adaptability. We treat every plan like an experiment – test, ship, measure, and iterate quickly.
  • Master Craftsperson: We care deeply about our craft. We balance speed with high standards, own outcomes end‑to‑end, and invest in getting better everyday.
  • Inspiring Colleague: We add clarity and energy, not noise. We bring humility, candor, and a one‑team mindset — giving and receiving feedback to make the team stronger.

Learn more: Interviewing at TRM: How We Hire and What Success Looks Like

The impact you will have

This work has real stakes. Depending on your role at TRM, your week might look like:

  • Driving critical investigations that can’t wait for typical business hours.
  • Shipping products in days when others would schedule quarters.
  • Partnering with teams across time zones to deliver insights while the story is still unfolding.
  • Building new solutions from first principles when the playbook doesn’t yet exist.
  • Protecting victims and customers by tracing illicit activity and disrupting criminal networks.

Join our Mission

At TRM we care deeply about our craft. We are looking for individuals who want their work to matter, who experiment with speed and rigor, and who take pride in building a safer world for billions of people. If you’re excited by TRM’s mission but don’t check every box, we encourage you to apply — we hire for slope, judgment, and the will to learn fast.

TRM is a Series C company with $220M in total funding, backed by Blockchain Capital, Goldman Sachs, Bessemer, Y Combinator, Thoma Bravo, and others. Headquartered in San Francisco, TRM operates as a distributed-first company with hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C., London, and Singapore.

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TRM Labs does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to TRM employees. TRM Labs is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes and will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company without a signed agreement.

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