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Job Description:
The VP, Innovation & Tokenization will lead ABA’s solution-oriented work at the intersection of stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and tokenization, more generally. This role expands ABA’s capabilities into deeper technical, implementation, and solution-focused domains.
The VP will serve as a senior subject-matter expert internally, as well as to banks, fintechs, and market infrastructure providers, translating technological developments into strategic insights, identifying risks and opportunities, and guiding industry-aligned approaches as tokenized money moves from pilots toward real-world adoption.
This position complements existing innovation leadership and ensures ABA maintains authoritative, credible, and forward-leaning capacity in a rapidly evolving space.
Key Responsibilities:
Technology & Solution Expertise
• Provide technical and solution-oriented analysis of tokenization, distributed ledger technologies, blockchain-based settlement models, and interoperability considerations.
• Evaluate emerging products, vendor offerings, and implementation frameworks to help banks navigate adoption pathways.
• Translate complex technology into clear, actionable guidance for bank executives and ABA colleagues.
Strategy & Execution
• Drive ABA’s execution of board-endorsed priorities related to tokenized money and digital settlement infrastructure.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives that integrate policy, compliance, operations, and technology perspectives.
• Shape ABA’s strategic posture and positioning in fast-moving digital asset developments.
Research & Thought Leadership
• Produce high-quality reports, briefings, and analyses that offer deep market insight, implementation considerations, industry risks, and opportunities.
• Provide ongoing intelligence on global market developments, pilots, and product offerings for tokenization and stablecoins.
• Represent ABA in relevant working groups, conferences, and industry forums.
Industry Leadership & Member Engagement
• Lead ABA’s engagement with banks, fintechs, and settlement technology providers on tokenized deposits, stablecoins, and related digital asset models.
• Serve as a senior external representative, presenting to member banks, regulators, market infrastructure leaders, and policymakers.
• Build strong, trust-based relationships across the ecosystem to identify emerging implementation models, market trends, and operational implications.
Internal Collaboration & Leadership
• Complement existing innovation leadership by serving as the senior technical and solution specialist within the Office of Innovation.
• Collaborate with policy, regulatory, cybersecurity, payments, risk, and advocacy teams to ensure coordinated messaging and guidance.
• Support ABA’s ability to guide members through emerging business models with clarity, credibility, and practical expertise.
Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, computer science, engineering, or related discipline.
• 12+ years of relevant experience in banking, payments, fintech, digital assets, technology strategy, or adjacent fields.
• Significant familiarity with tokenized deposits, stablecoins, DLT/blockchain settlement models, or digital asset infrastructure.
• Proven ability to engage credibly with financial institutions, regulators, and technology providers at executive levels.
• Ability to evaluate technical solution architectures and translate them into business and strategic implications.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
• Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex concepts for diverse audiences (bank executives, regulators, engineers).
• Demonstrated leadership, initiative, and ability to drive cross-functional projects.
• Strong relationship-building skills and a collaborative, team-oriented mindset.
• Ability to travel (less than 20%).
Target salary range for role: $240,000.00 - $260,000.00
Salary Band Range: $175,280.00 - $245,420.00 - $315,560.00
American Bankers Association (ABA) is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected Veteran status, personal appearance, political affiliation, family responsibilities, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
The American Bankers Association is the united voice of America’s hometown bankers—small, regional and large banks that together employ more than 2 million women and men, hold nearly $17 trillion in assets, safeguard $12.8 trillion in deposits and extend more than $9 trillion in loans. ABA believes that government policies should recognize the industry’s diversity. Laws and regulations should be tailored to correspond to a bank’s charter, business model, hometown markets and risk profile. This policymaking approach avoids the negative economic consequences of burdensome, unsuitable and inefficient bank regulation. Through a broad array of information, training, staff expertise and other resources, ABA supports America’s hometown bankers as they perform their critical role as drivers of America’s economic growth and job creation.
