Head of Global Safeguarding/ Client Assets

Overview Ready to be pushed beyond what you think you're capable of?

At Coinbase, our mission is to increase economic freedom in the world. It's a massive, ambitious opportunity that demands the best of us, every day, as we build the emerging onchain platform - and with it, the future global financial system.

To achieve our mission, we're seeking a very specific candidate. We want someone who is passionate about our mission and who believes in the power of crypto and blockchain technology to update the financial system. We want someone who is eager to leave their mark on the world, who relishes the pressure and privilege of working with high caliber colleagues, and who actively seeks feedback to keep leveling up. We want someone who will run towards, not away from, solving the company's hardest problems.

Our work culture is intense and isn't for everyone. If you want to build the future alongside others who excel in their disciplines and expect the same from you, there's no better place to be.

While many roles at Coinbase are remote-first, we are not remote-only. In-person participation is required throughout the year. Team and company-wide offsites are held multiple times annually to foster collaboration, connection, and alignment. Attendance is expected and fully supported.

At Coinbase, we are committed to setting the global standard for the secure custody and safeguarding of client assets.

Role and responsibilities Head of Global Safeguarding / Client Asset Management leads a high performing, cross regional team responsible for ensuring the safe custody, segregation, and regulatory compliance of client assets across all Coinbase entities and products. This is a critical leadership role with significant visibility to senior executives, Boards, and regulators, and it will shape how Coinbase designs and operates its global safeguarding framework for both fiat and digital assets.

You will own the end to end safeguarding lifecycle - from policy design and control frameworks, through daily reconciliations and rebalancing, to incident management, regulatory reporting, and audit - ensuring that Coinbase protects client assets with institutional grade rigor in every jurisdiction where we operate.

What you'll be doing:

• Set the global strategy and framework for client asset safeguarding, defining the vision, target operating model, and key performance / risk indicators for safeguarding and segregation of client assets across all Coinbase entities and products.
• Lead and develop a global safeguarding/client asset management team, including managers and subject matter experts across regions, fostering a culture of operational excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Own the Global Safeguarding Control Framework, including policies, standards, procedures, and control objectives that ensure compliance with applicable regulations (e.g., EMRs/PSRs, MiCA, CSSF, FCA and other local regimes), as well as internal risk appetite and governance expectations.
• Oversee daily safeguarding, reconciliation, and rebalancing processes globally, ensuring:
• Client assets are fully and appropriately segregated from firm assets in books and records.
• Safeguarding and custody wallet balances align with client obligations at all times.
• Exceptions are promptly identified, investigated, escalated, and remediated.
• Provide executive level oversight of reconciliation break investigation and resolution, acting as the primary escalation point for complex issues, driving robust root cause analysis, sustainable remediation, and thematic control enhancements.
• Act as (or oversee) the Directly Responsible Individual / designated safeguarding owner(s) for relevant entities, ensuring:
• A complete, accurate, and current global client asset incident log is maintained.
• Safeguarding incidents are triaged, escalated, and communicated internally and externally in line with regulatory expectations.
• Regulatory notifications and remedial action plans are timely, accurate, and well controlled.
• Lead preparation of management information and insights for Boards and governance forums (e.g., Risk, Audit, and Compliance Committees) across entities, including:
• Safeguarding performance, KPI/KRI trends, and incident themes.
• Control testing outcomes, remediation status, and upcoming regulatory or audit milestones.
• Oversee global regulatory reporting related to client asset safeguarding, ensuring reports are complete, accurate, consistent across entities, and submitted in line with local requirements and internal governance timelines.
• Partner closely with Treasury, Accounting, Finance, Product, Engineering, Legal, Compliance, and Risk to:
• Embed safeguarding and segregation requirements into product design, payment flows, wallet architecture, and ledger constructs "by design".
• Assess the safeguarding implications of new products, jurisdictions, counterparties, and banking/custody arrangements before launch.
• Lead internal and external audit engagements on safeguarding and client asset arrangements globally, including:
• Scoping and readiness.
• Management of requests and walkthroughs.
• Response to findings and implementation of management action plans.
• Design and deliver global training and awareness on safeguarding and client asset management, tailored for:
• First line operational teams responsible for daily reconciliations and custody processes.
• Second and third line partners (Risk, Compliance, Internal Audit).
• Leadership and Boards who need clear, decision useful views of safeguarding risk.
• Continuously improve data, systems, and automation underpinning safeguarding, including:
• Enhancing data quality and lineage between on chain and off chain systems, ledgers, and reporting.
• Reducing manual touch points and spreadsheet risk through scalable tooling, dashboards, and controls.

Qualifications What we look for in you (ie. job requirements)

• Extensive leadership experience (typically 10+ years) in financial services, asset custody, payments, or a highly regulated environment, with a strong track record of owning safeguarding, client asset, or closely related operations at scale.
• Deep, hands on expertise in client asset safeguarding and/or regulatory asset protection regimes (for example EMRs/PSRs, FCA safeguarding rules, MiCA, CSSF, or comparable frameworks in other jurisdictions), including practical experience designing and operating control frameworks, reconciliations, and segregation models.
• Proven ability to lead global, cross functional teams and manage complex, multi entity operating models, including remote teams across time zones and matrixed reporting lines.
• Demonstrated success building and maturing control frameworks, including:
• Policy and standard setting.
• Control design and implementation.
• Testing, monitoring, and issue remediation.
• Audit and regulatory engagement.
• Strong technical and analytical acumen in reconciliation, rebalancing, and custody operations (fiat and/or digital assets), with the ability to dive into detail while maintaining an enterprise level perspective on risk.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills, with experience:
• Presenting to Boards, regulators, and senior executives.
• Translating complex operational and regulatory topics into clear, actionable narratives for non experts.
• Influencing decisions across Product, Engineering, Finance, Legal, Compliance, and Risk.
• Proven incident management experience, including:
• Leading end to end response to safeguarding or control failures.
• Coordinating across first, second, and third lines of defense.
• Designing sustainable remediation and demonstrating closure to auditors and regulators.
• Demonstrated ability to operate in high growth, fast paced, and ambiguous environments, with a builder mindset and comfort balancing strategic design with hands on problem solving.
• High integrity and sound judgment, with a strong sense of ownership over client outcomes and a commitment to Coinbase's mission and values.

Nice to have

• Experience in crypto / digital assets, payment institutions, or e money institutions, especially where safeguarding frameworks intersect with on chain activity and wallet architectures.
• Experience working with global banking and custody partners, and familiarity with ISAE 3000 / SOC type assurance over safeguarding or client asset arrangements.
• Prior leadership responsibility for multi jurisdictional regulatory portfolios, including direct engagement with regulators on safeguarding, client assets, or operational resilience matters.
• Professional qualifications in accounting, risk, compliance, or audit (e.g., CPA, CA, ACCA, CFA, FRM, CAMS) and/or relevant regulatory or operations certifications.

Join us and help set the global benchmark for how client assets are safeguarded, as we continue to build the future of finance at Coinbase.

Pay Transparency Notice: Depending on your work location, the target annual salary for this position can range from GBP €115,020 to €127,800 + target bonus + target equity + benefits

Base salary range shown. Total compensation also includes equity and bonus eligibility and benefits:

£115,020-£127,800 GBP

Commitment to Equal Opportunity
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