Chief Trust Officer, zerohash National Trust Bank
Zero Hash provides B2B infrastructure enabling any platform to integrate digital assets through APIs for buying, selling, custody, and payment services.
Projects
About zerohash
Zero Hash helps businesses add cryptocurrency services by providing API infrastructure that handles regulatory and technical complexity. With it, companies can offer trading, custody, payment processing, and rewards programs without building infrastructure from scratch. Zero Hash serves neo-banks, fintech platforms, and investment services seeking to integrate crypto capabilities.
Skills
About the Role
You will be the founding senior fiduciary executive for a brand-new national trust bank, reporting directly to the CEO and helping build, launch, and operate the institution from the ground up. You will lead all day-to-day fiduciary functions including custody operations, settlement, reconciliation, reserve operations, and account administration, while designing operational playbooks and business continuity frameworks aligned with OCC expectations. You will serve as the bank's lead Fiduciary Officer, overseeing trust and fiduciary staff, fiduciary recordkeeping, and compliance with 12 CFR Part 9. You will report regularly to the Board of Directors on fiduciary activities, controls, and KPIs, and support pre-opening requirements for OCC charter approval. You will also manage third-party and vendor relationships, own operational resilience and incident management for fiduciary functions, and help build a high-performing team in a regulated banking environment.
Requirements
- 10+ years of progressive experience in banking operations, trust operations, custody operations, or payments at a federally regulated financial institution
- Direct experience at a national bank, federally chartered trust company, or equivalent regulated depository institution operating under OCC supervision
- Deep working knowledge of 12 CFR Part 9, OCC safety and soundness expectations, and fiduciary examination standards
- Demonstrated experience managing trust or custodial account administration including account setup, asset segregation, periodic review, and fiduciary recordkeeping
- Proven track record of building or managing high-volume, control-intensive operational environments in a regulated banking context
- Experience reporting to or working directly with a bank Board of Directors, including preparation of board materials and governance reporting
- Strong understanding of bank operational controls, internal audit, and OCC examination processes
- Experience managing third-party and vendor relationships consistent with OCC third-party risk expectations
- Demonstrated ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing teams in a regulated banking environment
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills including experience presenting to boards and regulators
- Willingness and ability to travel for regulatory meetings, partner engagements, and bank business
Responsibilities
- Lead all day-to-day fiduciary functions including custody operations, settlement flows, reconciliation, reserve operations, and account administration
- Design, implement, and maintain operational playbooks, standard operating procedures, and business continuity frameworks
- Build and manage the bank's operational infrastructure from pre-opening through steady-state operations
- Oversee operational readiness for new products, new asset types, and new partner integrations
- Establish and monitor SLAs, exception-handling protocols, and operational uptime standards
- Serve as the senior Fiduciary Officer leading trust and fiduciary staff in administration of fiduciary and custodial accounts
- Oversee fiduciary recordkeeping including account setup, asset segregation, ledger accuracy, and periodic account reviews
- Ensure trust operations comply with OCC fiduciary standards and applicable state trust law
- Maintain safeguards and controls over fiduciary assets including collateral requirements for uninsured fiduciary funds
- Implement and enforce policies governing self-dealing, conflicts of interest, and co-mingling of assets
- Report to the Board of Directors on fiduciary activities, controls, and institutional KPIs
- Prepare and present Board and committee reports covering account activity, reconciliation integrity, vendor performance, and risk metrics
- Support the Board in discharging fiduciary governance obligations including audit and risk committee participation
- Maintain the governance calendar and ensure timely production of Board materials
- Maintain audit-ready documentation and evidence repositories for OCC examinations and fiduciary audits
- Implement OCC-aligned internal control systems across operations, custody, reconciliation, and settlement workflows
- Support pre-opening examination requirements for OCC charter approval
- Partner with the COO, CCO, CRO, and Legal team on operational risk testing and issue remediation
- Monitor and operationalize evolving regulatory requirements including GENIUS Act requirements
- Oversee relationships with banking partners, sub-custodians, reserve custodians, and technology vendors
- Ensure third-party relationships satisfy OCC third-party risk management expectations
- Maintain vendor performance dashboards and due diligence packages
- Own operational continuity, incident response, and crisis management programs for fiduciary and trust functions
- Lead triage and resolution for fiduciary and trust incidents
- Conduct post-incident reviews and ensure remediation of control gaps
- Foster a culture of operational excellence and fiduciary accountability
- Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team
Benefits
- Healthcare Insurance with zerohash covering roughly 100% of employee premiums and a portion of spouse/children coverage (U.S. only)
- Vision & Dental Insurance (U.S. only)
- Chance to earn equity
- Maternity & Paternity leave (after 6 months)
- WeWork All Access Membership
- WFH Yearly Stipend
- L&D Yearly Stipend (after 6 months)
