Crypto/Blockchain Architect

As a Crypto/Blockchain Architect at Iris Software, you will lead enterprise architecture, solution strategy, and governance for blockchain-enabled platforms. In this strategic role, you 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 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.

What you'll do

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

What you bring

• Experience leading architecture for production-grade Web3 or digital asset applications.
• A proven track record guiding live tokenization platforms, real-world asset solutions, or institutional crypto custody systems from concept through production governance.
• A 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, for example DFNS, Fireblocks, or Turnkey.
• A deep understanding of smart contract security risks, audit governance, and gas optimization tradeoffs.

Nice to have

• 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.

About Iris Software

Iris Software is a software services firm serving clients in blockchain and digital assets. The role is based in Toronto, ON on a hybrid schedule (3 days per week on-site).