Principal Architect - Digital Assets & Tokenization

Description

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Position Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced Full Stack Architect specializing in digital assets and tokenization to lead enterprise architecture, solution strategy, and governance for blockchain-enabled platforms.

In this strategic role, you will bridge traditional financial infrastructure and decentralized systems by defining target-state architectures for tokenization platforms supporting real-world assets, digital securities, utility tokens, and institutional custody workflows.

You will provide architectural direction across backend services, decentralized application experiences, smart contract ecosystems, public EVM and Layer 2 networks, enterprise permissioned chains, and managed Blockchain-as-a-Service platforms.

Key Responsibilities

Architecture and Platform Design

• Define scalable, end-to-end tokenization architectures that align user experiences, middleware services, indexers, custody capabilities, and smart contract ecosystems.

• Provide solution direction for enterprise-grade blockchain nodes and Blockchain-as-a-Service environments, including Hyperledger Besu, Quorum, Corda, Kaleido, and Blockdaemon, to support compliant, privacy-preserving network topologies.

• Own critical architectural decisions by authoring and championing Architectural Decision Records, driving stakeholder reviews, and guiding decisions through formal architecture governance channels.

• Design, communicate, and socialize end-to-end target-state architectures, solution blueprints, and strategic technology roadmaps.

• Create consensus across cross-functional leadership and engineering teams, proactively navigating competing priorities to resolve complex or controversial technical decisions.

• Elevate team capability by mentoring developers and architects, fostering continuous technical growth, and supporting succession planning.

• Partner with engineering leaders throughout the delivery lifecycle to ensure implementations remain aligned with approved target-state architectures.

Tokenization and Smart Contract Engineering

• Set architectural direction for tokenized real-world assets, debt, equities, funds, and stablecoins using standards such as ERC-20, ERC-721, ERC-1155, ERC-3643/T-REX, and ERC-1400.

• Define governance expectations for smart contract testing, formal verification, and upgradeability patterns, including ERC-2535 Diamond Standard and proxy contracts.

• Oversee protocol security audit strategy with third-party security firms and ensure remediation plans are incorporated into release governance.

Full Stack Technical Leadership

• Define architectural standards for React and Next.js frontends that interact with Web3 libraries such as Ethers.js, Viem, and Wagmi.

• Guide architectural patterns for scalable backend services in Node.js, Go, or Rust, with emphasis on reliability, maintainability, and production readiness.

Custody, Key Management, and Institutional UX

• Shape enterprise integration strategy for MPC wallet infrastructure providers such as DFNS, Fireblocks, BitGo, Turnkey, and Anchorage, as well as Hardware Security Modules for transaction signing and treasury management.

• Define user experience architecture for account abstraction, including ERC-4337, social logins, and gasless transaction relayers such as Biconomy and Gelato, to support seamless institutional onboarding.

Regulatory and Compliance Technology

• Establish architectural requirements for on-chain and off-chain identity management, including KYC/AML accreditation rules, transfer restriction engines, and transaction monitoring tools such as Chainalysis and Elliptic.

• Ensure solution designs support regulatory compliance, auditability, and operational controls across tokenized asset workflows.

Required Experience

• Experience leading architecture for production-grade Web3 or digital asset applications.

• Proven track record guiding live tokenization platforms, real-world asset solutions, or institutional crypto custody systems from concept through production governance.

• Strong architectural understanding of enterprise EVM nodes, such as Hyperledger Besu, and blockchain infrastructure platforms such as Kaleido or Blockdaemon.

• Experience defining integration approaches for programmatic MPC wallet infrastructure, e.g. DFNS, Fireblocks, or Turnkey.

• Deep understanding of smart contract security risks, audit governance, and gas optimization tradeoffs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with Zero-Knowledge proofs, including zk-SNARKs and zk-STARKs, for privacy-preserving asset transactions.

• Hands-on experience deploying a tokenization solution for real-world assets, digital securities, funds, stablecoins, or institutional digital asset workflows.

• Familiarity with institutional settlement systems, including FIX protocol, Swift, and ISO 20022 messaging.

• Hands-on open-source contributions to major Web3 frameworks, Ethereum Improvement Proposals, or tokenization standards.

• Certifications in AWS or GCP cloud architecture, blockchain security, or related disciplines.

#LI-TECH

Who We Are:

TD Securities offers a wide range of capital markets products and services to corporate, government, and institutional clients who choose us for our innovation, execution, and experience. With more than 6,500 professionals operating out of 40 cities across the globe, we strive to make every interaction, product and experience remarkably human and refreshingly simple. Our services include underwriting and distributing new issues, providing trusted advice and industry-leading insight, extending access to global markets, and delivering integrated transaction banking solutions. In 2023, we acquired Cowen Inc., offering our clients access to a premier U.S. equities business and highly-diverse equity research franchise, while growing our strong, diversified investment bank.

Together, we are reimagining what banking can be for our clients, colleagues and communities.

Our Total Rewards Package
Our Total Rewards package reflects the investments we make in our colleagues to help them and their families achieve their financial, physical, and mental well-being goals. Total Rewards at TD includes a base salary, variable compensation, and several other key plans such as health and well-being benefits, savings and retirement programs, paid time off, banking benefits and discounts, career development, and reward and recognition programs.

Additional Information:
We’re delighted that you’re considering building a career with TD. Through regular development conversations, training programs, and a competitive benefits plan, we’re committed to providing the support our colleagues need to thrive both at work and at home.

Please be advised that this job opportunity is subject to provincial regulation for employment purposes. It is imperative to acknowledge that each province or territory within the jurisdiction of Canada may have its own set of regulations, requirements.

Colleague Development

If you’re interested in a specific career path or are looking to build certain skills, we want to help you succeed. You’ll have regular career, development, and performance conversations with your manager, as well as access to an online learning platform and a variety of mentoring programs to help you unlock future opportunities.

If you’re passionate about helping clients and building deep, lasting relationships, TD offers diverse career paths where you can grow your expertise and make a meaningful impact.

We're committed to your success and foster a respectful workplace where diverse perspectives are valued, everyone has fair opportunities to grow, and you can unlock your full potential to achieve your career goals. Here at TD, we hire and develop the best.

Training & Onboarding
We will provide training and onboarding sessions to ensure that you’ve got everything you need to succeed in your new role.

Interview Process
We’ll reach out to candidates of interest to schedule an interview. We do our best to communicate outcomes to all applicants by email or phone call.

Accommodation
Your accessibility is important to us. Please let us know if you’d like accommodations (including accessible meeting rooms, captioning for virtual interviews, etc.) to help us remove barriers so that you can participate throughout the interview process.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Language Requirement (Quebec only):

Sans Objet