Director, OP Mainnet

OP Labs is the team building the technology behind Optimism, the leading blockchain infrastructure provider powering 65% of all Layer 2 transactions. Our open-source OP Stack enables developers and enterprises to launch scalable, secure, and customizable onchain networks with ease. Backed by a16z, Paradigm, and others, OP Labs has raised over $350M to drive the next generation of onchain innovation.

Role and Responsibilities

Make OP Mainnet the canonical example of what is possible when you deploy a chain in the Superchain. It is one of the most performant, liquid, and strategically important chains in the crypto ecosystem. It will serve as a neutral launchpad for enterprises to deploy who later expect to launch their own chains. You will own the P&L, growth trajectory, and strategic positioning of OP Mainnet as the flagship L2 that sets the benchmark for performance, ecosystem maturity, and community trust.

You’ll operate as the CEO of the chain: orchestrating Product, BD, Partnerships, and Marketing through influence and alignment. Your goal is to turn OP Mainnet from a shared resource into a competitive advantage - the canonical home for DeFi, stablecoins, and next-generation on-chain apps.

What are the role responsibilities?

Strategy & Ownership

• Define and execute the long-term vision and north-star metrics for OP Mainnet (TVL, DAU, active protocols, ecosystem liquidity).

• Act as the single point of accountability for OP Mainnet performance - balancing growth, stability, and ecosystem alignment.

• Lead quarterly planning across Product, BD, and Marketing to ensure OP Mainnet priorities are reflected in the broader org roadmap.

• Own the OP Mainnet narrative - internally and externally (developer, protocol, and user perception).

Ecosystem Growth & Partnerships

• Drive top-tier protocol and ecosystem growth on OP Mainnet: DeFi, consumer, stablecoins, and infrastructure - with the goal of enabling a neutral launchpad for enterprises.

• Work with BD and Partnerships teams to identify and prioritize integrations that materially drive TVL and user activity.

• Oversee incentive design and capital deployment strategies (in coordination Foundation).

• Create playbooks for high-impact use cases (stablecoins, yield, staking, payments) and coordinate partner execution.

​​Product & Infrastructure Coordination

• Collaborate with the Product and Engineering teams to define OP Mainnet-specific roadmap priorities (performance, cost, features).

• Translate ecosystem needs into actionable technical feedback loops for the OP Stack and Superchain roadmap.

• Ensure OP Mainnet serves as the proving ground for new stack features before Superchain-wide deployment.

Marketing & Positioning

• Partner with Marketing to shape the OP Mainnet narrative: why builders and users should choose it, what differentiates it, and how It will serve as a neutral launchpad for enterprises to deploy who later expect to launch their own chains.

• Own launch readiness for key ecosystem milestones (major protocol launches, Superchain upgrades, liquidity campaigns).

• Serve as public-facing spokesperson where appropriate - conferences, governance calls, key partner events.

Metrics, Reporting & Accountability

• Define and own the metrics that matter:

  • Enterprises who deploy on OP Mainnet and then graduate to launching their own chain

  • TVL, DAU/MAU, volume, active protocols

  • Fee evenue, cost efficiency, liquidity growth

  • Contribution to Superchain influence

• Build clear reporting for leadership and governance stakeholders

• Operate as the “bridge” between OP Mainnet execution and Foundation strategy - aligning short-term results with long-term ecosystem goals.

Cross-Functional Leadership

You’ll have dotted-line collaboration with:

• BD & Partnerships: For protocol acquisition, ecosystem incentives, and integration pipelines.

• Product & Engineering: For prioritizing OP Mainnet features, rollouts, and managed upgrade coordination.

• Marketing: For narrative, campaign execution, and ecosystem storytelling.

• Finance & Governance: For budget planning, onchain reporting, and incentive governance alignment.

Your success depends on influence, clarity, and velocity.

What skills do you bring?

• Ecosystem Operator: 6–10+ years in DeFi, L1/L2, or crypto-native ecosystem leadership (e.g., chain GM, growth lead, protocol BD head).

• Strategic Generalist: Equally comfortable designing an incentives flywheel or debating rollup architecture tradeoffs.

• Growth Obsessed: You’ve built ecosystems from 0 → 1 and 1 → 100 - with data-driven intuition for what moves the needle.

• Diplomatic Executor: You can manage up, sideways, and externally - aligning multiple orgs and stakeholders without direct authority.

• Credible Voice: You have the trust of developers, partners, and governance participants - and the judgment to speak for OP Mainnet publicly.

What will you like about us?

• We take care of our employees. Competitive compensation, fully paid medical, dental, and vision, and a 4% 401K match.

• We take pride in the accomplishments of our teammates and support each other in doing the best work of our careers.

• Our team is a diverse group of people from varied backgrounds. We cherish our eclecticism and consider it a great strength.

• We’re fully remote, deeply engaged, highly skilled, and like to have fun.

• We think long-term. Our founders have been scaling Ethereum since 2015.

• Learn more about our interviewing here!