Principal Blockchain Architect - Cybersecurity

Your opportunity

At Schwab, you’re empowered to make an impact on your career and the future of digital finance.

We believe in the importance of in-office collaboration and fully intend for the selected candidate for this role to work on site in the specified location(s).

We are seeking a visionary and technically proficient Principal Blockchain Technology Architect to lead the design, development, and implementation of blockchain-based solutions within the financial services sector. This role will be instrumental in shaping our blockchain strategy, driving innovation, and ensuring secure, scalable, and regulatory-compliant architectures that support digital assets.

Key Responsibilities

• Architecture & Design:
• Lead the end-to-end architecture of blockchain platforms, including consensus mechanisms, smart contract frameworks, and integration with legacy financial systems.
• Design scalable and secure distributed ledger solutions tailored to financial use cases such as payments, clearing and settlement, identity management, and asset tokenization.
• Technology Leadership:
• Evaluate and select appropriate blockchain protocols based on business requirements.
• Define technical security standards, best practices, and governance models for secure blockchain development and deployment.
• Engineering & Development:
• Collaborate with engineering teams to build and maintain secure blockchain infrastructure, APIs, and smart contracts.
• Ensure high performance, fault tolerance, and data integrity across blockchain nodes and networks.
• Security & Compliance:
• Implement robust security measures including cryptographic techniques, identity and access management, and secure key storage.
• Ensure compliance with financial regulations (e.g., AML/KYC, GDPR, SEC guidelines) in blockchain implementations.
• Help implement holistic security measures across the cybersecurity program pertaining to the safe development and monitoring of digital assets.
• Innovation & Strategy:
• Stay abreast of emerging blockchain trends, technologies, and regulatory developments.
• Provide strategic guidance to executive leadership on blockchain opportunities and risks.
• Collaboration & Mentorship:
• Work cross-functionally with product, legal, compliance, and operations teams.
• Mentor junior architects and developers in blockchain principles and development practices.
  

What you have

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
• 10 years of experience in software architecture, with 5 years in blockchain technologies
• Deep understanding of cryptographic principles, distributed systems, and consensus algorithms
• Proven experience designing and deploying blockchain solutions in financial environments
• Familiarity with smart contract languages and blockchain platforms
• Strong knowledge of financial services workflows and regulatory requirements
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with DeFi protocols, digital identity, and token economics
• Knowledge of cloud-native architectures and containerization (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker)
  
  

In addition to the salary range, this role is also eligible for bonus or incentive opportunities.

What’s in it for you

At Schwab, you’re empowered to shape your future. We champion your growth through meaningful work, continuous learning, and a culture of trust and collaboration—so you can build the skills to make a lasting impact. Our Hybrid Work and Flexibility approach balances our ongoing commitment to workplace flexibility, serving our clients, and our strong belief in the value of being together in person on a regular basis.

We offer a competitive benefits package that takes care of the whole you – both today and in the future:

• 401(k) with company match and Employee stock purchase plan
• Paid time for vacation, volunteering, and 28-day sabbatical after every 5 years of service for eligible positions
• Paid parental leave and family building benefits
• Tuition reimbursement
• Health, dental, and vision insurance