Director, Digital Asset Sales

Job Title

Director, Digital Asset Sales

Department

Client Facing-UK-UK

Overview of Department

Baillie Gifford's Digital Assets team is building the firm's capability in tokenised investment products, starting with the Baillie Gifford Enhanced Yield Fund ($BAGEY), our first tokenised investment product, with the ambition to develop our broader digital assets offering as the market evolves.

Purpose of Role

As Director, Digital Asset Sales, you'll play a leading role in creating a market for this emerging Baillie Gifford proposition. Initially focused on building awareness of and raising assets for $BAGEY, you'll develop our presence and brand credibility within the digital assets ecosystem, originate new commercial opportunities and build relationships with prospective institutional and wholesale investors.

You'll work proactively with prospective investors to help guide and prioritise the future development of tokenised strategies. Working closely with the Digital Assets team and sales and client-facing colleagues across all regions, you'll bring insight from the market back into the firm, helping us understand evolving client needs and develop solutions that respond to the tokenised asset and broader DeFi opportunity set.

The focus will be on institutional and wholesale distribution, with prospective clients expected to include both traditional financial organisations and those specialising in onchain finance. You'll need sufficient understanding of digital assets and tokenisation to operate credibly, but deep technical expertise isn't the primary requirement. You'll lead investor-facing origination, brand development and asset raising, while technical and infrastructure partnerships with custodians, protocols and market makers will sit with colleagues leading technical delivery within the Digital Assets team.

The role will be based in London with regular travel, including to our head office in Edinburgh, where the Digital Assets team is located.

This position has been deemed a Certified role within the FCA's Senior Manager and Certification Regime. As a result, the occupant's details will be displayed on the FCA register and both initial and annual fitness and propriety assessments must be completed.

Responsibilities

Business development and asset raising

• Lead investor-facing origination and asset raising for the firm's tokenised investment products, initially focused on building awareness of and raising assets for $BAGEY.
• Proactively identify, develop and convert commercial opportunities across institutional and wholesale markets, including traditional financial organisations and participants specialising in onchain finance.
• Build and maintain a high-quality network of prospective investors and relevant digital asset organisations, creating new relationships and routes to market.
• Work closely with sales and client-facing colleagues across regions, acting as a digital assets subject matter expert and supporting prospective client engagement, including attending meetings where required.
• Negotiate fees and commercial terms in partnership with Baillie Gifford's Fees Group.

Market development and brand

• Grow Baillie Gifford's presence and generate leads amongst potential digital assets investors through industry conferences, networking and other relevant activity.
• Seek out speaking opportunities, panels, roundtables and other forums through which to communicate our thinking, build awareness and generate commercial opportunities.
• Develop compelling sales and marketing materials that communicate the case for Baillie Gifford's tokenised investment products.
• Protect and extend Baillie Gifford's reputation for being at the forefront of native digital fund offerings.

Client insight and proposition development

• Build a deep understanding of prospective investor needs, using client and market insight to help guide and prioritise the future development of tokenised strategies.
• Work closely with the wider Digital Assets team to develop solutions that respond to the evolving needs of the tokenised asset and broader DeFi opportunity set.
• As the tokenised fund range expands, work alongside Digital Assets client colleagues to ensure the appropriate provision of investment and broader updates for investors.

Internal partnership and capability

• Build strong partnerships across the Digital Assets team and with sales and client-facing colleagues globally, creating momentum around shared commercial opportunities.
• Share knowledge and provide internal education to help colleagues build their understanding and confidence in this emerging area of the firm's business.

What success looks like:Commercial momentum: $BAGEY and future tokenised strategies generate strong prospective investor engagement and measurable asset-raising opportunities.

Market creation: Baillie Gifford develops demand for a differentiated digital assets proposition rather than simply selling into an established market.

Brand credibility: The firm builds a visible and credible presence across the institutional digital assets ecosystem, supported by a strong external network and high-quality industry engagement.

Client-led development: Insight from prospective investors informs the evolution and prioritisation of future tokenised strategies and propositions.

Strong collaboration: Digital Assets, sales and client-facing colleagues work effectively together across regions to identify and progress opportunities.

Qualifications

• Investment Management Certificate, or a willingness to work towards this

Your knowledge and experience

• Strong business development and asset-raising experience, with a track record of originating opportunities and building new markets, propositions or client relationships.
• An established profile and network across blockchain, tokenisation, digital assets and prospective institutional and wholesale investors.
• Sufficient understanding of digital assets, tokenisation and the onchain ecosystem to operate credibly with prospective investors and industry participants; deep technical expertise is not required.
• Experience developing senior client and prospect relationships and translating market insight into commercial opportunities.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to communicate emerging or complex propositions clearly and credibly to different audiences.
• Experience developing compelling sales and marketing materials and representing an organisation externally through industry events, speaking opportunities or other forums.
• Experience of investment distribution platforms would be advantageous as tokenised assets are added to their fund ranges.

The type of candidate we're looking for

We're looking for an entrepreneurial business developer with the drive to help create a market for a new Baillie Gifford proposition. You'll be proactive, externally oriented and comfortable creating momentum in a market that is still evolving, combining commercial drive with genuine curiosity about digital assets and onchain investing. You'll bring the credibility, confidence and relationship skills to maintain a highly visible profile within the tokenised assets ecosystem. You'll enjoy uncovering opportunities through conversations with prospective investors, thinking laterally and experimenting with different routes to market while protecting and extending Baillie Gifford's reputation for being at the forefront of native digital fund offerings. You'll be highly collaborative and motivated by team-based success, working closely with Digital Assets colleagues and sales and client-facing teams across the firm. You'll be comfortable sharing your knowledge internally, helping colleagues build confidence in this new area while bringing market and client insight back into the team to shape future propositions.

Critical skills