Lead Engineer - Identity and Authentication

About Uphold Uphold is a financial technology company that believes on-chain services are the future of finance. It provides modern infrastructure for on-chain payments, banking and investments. Offering Consumer Services, Business Services and Institutional Trading, Uphold makes pioneering financial services easy and trusted for millions of customers in more than 140 countries. Uphold integrates with more than 30 trading venues, including centralized and decentralized exchanges, to deliver superior liquidity and optimal execution. Uphold never loans out customer assets and is always 100% reserved. The company pioneered radical transparency and uniquely publishes its assets and liabilities every 30 seconds on a public website ( Transparency Page ). Uphold strips away the complexity and lack of transparency to open up Web3 finance for everyone. To learn more about Uphold, please visit https://uphold.com . The Opportunity We're building a new team to own and transform how Uphold approaches identity, authentication, and security across our global multi-asset platform. The Lead Engineer is a foundational role where you'll shape the future of secure access for millions of users managing crypto, fiat, and precious metals. You'll design and deliver state-of-the-art authentication systems (from passkeys to multi-factor challenges), strengthen compliance controls for regulated environments, and improve the user experience while improving security. This role combines deep technical expertise with leadership responsibilities - you'll architect critical systems, evaluate vendors, and eventually build and lead a team. What you'll be doing primarily Design, build, and improve identity and authentication infrastructure that balances user experience with regulatory requirements. Implement modern authentication solutions including passkeys, WebAuthn, and advanced multi-factor authentication mechanisms (2FA, OTP, biometrics). Build systems that enable continuous monitoring, compliance reporting, and forensic analysis for fraud prevention and regulatory teams. Collaborate closely with Product, Fraud Prevention, Compliance, and Regulatory teams to ensure security solutions meet business and legal requirements. Research, evaluate, and select third-party identity providers, security vendors, and authentication platforms. Architect and implement integrations with external identity and security solutions. Design systems that comply with financial regulations, ensuring strong customer authentication (SCA) and auditability. Develop and maintain technical documentation, security policies, and architecture decision records. Lead hiring, coaching, and development of team members as the team grows. Other duties may be assigned as needed. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience. 5+ years of relevant work experience in backend engineering with deep expertise in identity, authentication, and security systems. Deep experience with at least one of these languages and strong familiarity with the other: JavaScript (node.js) or Golang. Proficient in authentication protocols and standards (OAuth2, OIDC, SAML, WebAuthn, FIDO2). Experience building and scaling identity platforms at fintech companies or security-focused engineering roles at scale. Understanding of risk-based authentication, fraud prevention patterns, and security controls in financial products. Knowledge of regulatory frameworks impacting authentication (e.g., PSD2, KYC/AML requirements). Proven ability to architect secure, auditable systems that balance user experience with compliance needs. Experience evaluating and integrating third-party identity and security vendors. Strong communication and organizational skills. Strong problem-solving skills. Ability to work under pressure. Team-oriented and collaborative. Interest and readiness to take on people management responsibilities as the team grows. Expectations: Regular collaborat