Business Development Associate
New York / London, England Growth / Full-time / Hybrid About us Aave Labs builds innovative products leveraging blockchain technologies. Aave Labs' suite includes the Aave app, unleashing the Aave Protocol and its native stablecoin GHO, Lens, an open social network, and Family, a design-first mobile crypto wallet. Our vision is to build a people-powered internet that benefits all. Our culture Having cultivated a thriving, collaborative culture, our team is kind, welcoming and passionate about what we are building. We celebrate differences and seek to develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool from all over the world. No matter where you are based, no ghost will be left behind and we appreciate every moment we get to work and have fun together. About the role: We’re looking for a Business Development Associate to accelerate adoption of Aave. You’ll play a core role in expanding how Aave powers the next generation of onchain finance, helping partners integrate, innovate, and scale with one of the most trusted liquidity protocols in crypto. This role suits a DeFi-native collaborator who knows how to expand product reach and scale Aave’s API and SDK products through integrations that meet partners where they are. You’ll manage inbound partner opportunities, drive new business through ecosystem relationships, and work cross-functionally with product, engineering, and marketing to bring integrationsHow you can make an impact:
- Drive enterprise adoption of Aave’s technologies across fintechs, neobanks, custodians, and exchanges
- Identify and develop strategic ecosystem opportunities, including partnerships with exchanges, wallet providers, and payment platforms to scale Avara’s reach
- Lead full-cycle sales processes from sourcing and qualification through to deal structuring, negotiation, and execution
- Co-design products with partners by translating market needs into integration opportunities across Aave V4, GHO, and the broader Aave ecosystem
- Partner with engineering and product to deliver bespoke solutions that connect traditional finance rails with onchain liquidity and yield infrastructure
- Build and manage a strong pipeline of partners, establishing Aave as a trusted partner for onchain finance and custody innovation
- Collaborate with marketing and ecosystem teams to define go-to-market narratives and partnership playbooks for fintech and institutional audiences
- Work closely with leadership on revenue forecasting, deal prioritization, and strategic account management
- Represent Aave at industry events, conferences, and executive forums to drive awareness and high-level engagement
Let's connect if you have:
- 2–4 years of experience in DeFi, business development, or partnerships, ideally within crypto. Sales of BD experience at a fintech, exchange, or crypto infrastructure company is a strong plus
- Deep understanding of DeFi protocols, liquidity markets, and yield products
- Ability to communicate technical concepts to both developers and business stakeholders
- Proven track record of driving measurable results through partnerships or integrations execution
- Experience collaborating with marketing teams to drive partner-facing campaigns and ecosystem launches
- Curiosity and creativity to ideate new product and partnership models leveraging Aave’s infrastructure
- Analytical, organized, and detail-oriented. Able to manage multiple deal cycles in parallel
- Self-starter attitude, capable of operating autonomously in a fast-moving, global organization
Nice to haves:
- Prior work with API-driven fintech or Web3 integration models