Wanted: Head of Strategic Institutions

Who We Are

At OKX, we believe that the future will be reshaped by crypto, and ultimately contribute to every individual's freedom. OKX is a leading crypto exchange, and the developer of OKX Wallet, giving millions access to crypto trading and decentralized crypto applications (dApps). OKX is also a trusted brand by hundreds of large institutions seeking access to crypto markets. We are safe and reliable, backed by our Proof of Reserves. Across our multiple offices globally, we are united by our core principles: We Before Me, Do the Right Thing, and Get Things Done. These shared values drive our culture, shape our processes, and foster a friendly, rewarding, and diverse environment for every OK-er.

About the Opportunity

You are the Relationship Monetizer for all VIP institutions. Your network is the pipeline. You originate, progress, and close partnerships with VIP institutional clients – banks, asset managers, hedge funds, family offices, quant funds, and sovereign wealth funds – that generate substantial, recurring revenues and validate OKX as a credible institutional counterparty globally.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Tier 1 network ownership and expansion: You curate, expand, and monetize your personal network of C‑suite relationships at the largest global financial institutions. Your network is the vertical’s primary competitive advantage.
• Revenue ownership and pipeline oversight: You carry the consolidated institutional revenue target across all segments. You own the number, the forecast, and pipeline health.
• Vertical strategy and segment prioritization: You determine how to balance long‑cycle bank partnerships (6‑12+ months, custom integration, marquee logos) with shorter‑cycle fund and asset manager clients (3‑6 months, more standardized product, revenue velocity).
• Tier 1 deal origination and closing (commercial structuring): You are the commercial architect on the biggest deals. You structure creative partnerships, negotiate terms, and close. You work alongside your Sr. Relationship Director who drives relationship‑led selling and oversees the Sr. Institutional RM who executes commercially – on a global level.
• Product need analysis and advocacy: Institutional clients surface product requirements that don’t exist yet – custom custody flows, new API capabilities, regulatory wrappers. You translate these into business cases with ROI estimates and advocate internally with product and engineering.
• Regulatory positioning and compliance reflection: Traditional institutions’ primary barrier is not capital efficiency – it’s regulatory confidence. You articulate OKX’s regulatory standing (MiCA licensing, banking partnerships, compliance infrastructure) to client compliance committees, boards, and risk teams. You make the case for why OKX is a defensible counterparty.
• External positioning and institutional marketing narrative: You own how OKX is perceived in the institutional market. You shape the narrative for OKX institutional and oversee the development of sales and marketing collateral (pitch decks, solution briefs, case studies, competitive positioning documents), shape press releases for institutional milestones, and develop thought leadership content that articulates OKX’s integration‑first, relationship‑led positioning.

What We Look For In You

• 10+ years of Business Development experience
• Active institutional network. You have done business with C‑suite decision‑makers at banks, asset managers, and funds within the last 18 months.
• Personal deal closing experience. You have personally originated and closed institutional partnerships.
• Deep crypto product fluency. You can discuss custody models, trading infrastructure, FIX connectivity, settlement mechanics, and regulatory frameworks credibly without preparation. You understand the infrastructure development lifecycle of banks and traditional asset managers getting into digital assets.
• Senior team management. You have managed or directed director‑level professionals. You lead through influence and partnership.

Nice to Haves

• Existing network of institutional contacts in banks, asset managers, and funds – relationships accelerate ramp time even if they are not the primary asset
• Experience selling to both banks (complex, long‑cycle, integration‑heavy) and funds (shorter‑cycle, standardized) simultaneously
• Track record of building institutional sales teams and playbooks in a high‑growth environment
• Experience developing sales collateral, thought leadership content, or institutional marketing narratives
• Experience with CRMs, pipeline building and tool management, sales intelligence platforms for institutional prospecting
• Proficient in use of AI tooling (e.g. Claude) for workflow automation and productivity enhancement on behalf of small, high performance teams

Perks