Senior Manager - Blockchain & Digital Assets Lead, Technology Risk (Financial Services Assurance)

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The opportunity

Digital assets is moving from the edge of financial services towards its core. Singapore has one of the most complete regulatory frameworks for digital asset activity anywhere in the world – the Payment Services Act 2019 for digital payment token services, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2022 regime for digital token service providers, consumer-protection and custody safeguards, technology risk and cyber hygiene notices, and a framework for single-currency stablecoins – while banks and asset managers are tokenizing funds, deposits and securities through initiatives such as Project Guardian. Exchanges, custodians, digital asset fund managers, stablecoin issuers, banks and fintechs across Singapore and ASEAN need assurance that their technology, controls and reporting will stand up to auditors, regulators and institutional counterparties.

Our Blockchain & Digital Assets team sits with EY's Technology & Cyber Risk Practice for Financial Services in Singapore and works alongside our financial audit, cybersecurity, financial crime, tax, consulting and transactions teams to give clients one integrated view of technology risk, financial services and regulatory compliance. We are looking for a Senior Manager to lead and grow this practice: the recognized subject matter leader for blockchain and digital assets in the Singapore firm, accountable for the quality of our technical work, the growth of our client portfolio and the development of our specialists.

You will work directly with the Partner leading Technology & Cyber Risk, with audit engagement partners across the global firm, and with senior client stakeholders including CTOs, CISOs, CFOs, CROs, Business Heads, Boards and Audit Committees. This is a client-facing leadership role with a clear mandate – and the support of a globally connected EY blockchain specialist team – to shape what a leading digital asset practice looks like in this region.

Your key responsibilities

Practice leadership and growth

• Lead and grow the practice. Set the service strategy for Blockchain & Digital Assets in Singapore with Asia client reach, own the opportunity pipeline, and build a portfolio of digital asset exchanges, custodians, fund managers, stablecoin issuers, banks and fintechs by focusing on high-impact opportunities.
  
  
• Be the firm's subject matter leader. Lead proposals and oral presentations for medium- to high-complexity engagements, bring technical insight to pursuits across Assurance, Consulting, Tax and Strategy and Transactions, and act as the go-to resource for audit teams and other service lines on digital asset matters.
  
  
• Build trusted senior relationships. Advise C-suite and senior stakeholders, translating complex technology, accounting and regulatory issues into practical, decision-ready recommendations that shape real business outcomes.
  
  
• Shape the market view. Develop EY points of view, thought leadership and new offerings in areas such as custody assurance, stablecoin reserve attestation, tokenization and DeFi risk; represent EY with regulators, industry bodies and at market events.
  
  

Technical delivery and quality

• Blockchain specialist support for financial statement audits. Lead the design and review of audit procedures over digital asset balances and transactions – existence, ownership, completeness and valuation of on-chain holdings, wallet attribution, on-chain reconciliation to the general ledger.
  
  
• Custody and key-management reviews. Direct assessments of custody technology and infrastructure and controls – MPC, HSM, multi-signature and hot/warm/cold wallet architecture, private key lifecycle and key ceremonies, transaction authorization workflows, segregation of customer assets, reconciliation and governance controls – against MAS requirements and leading practice.
  
  
• Token, protocol and smart contract assessments. Oversee technical research and evaluations of tokens and blockchain networks – consensus mechanisms, tokenomics, governance, degree of decentralization, staking and DeFi protocols, bridges and Layer 2 networks – and smart contract reviews, ensuring conclusions are well supported, consistently documented and defensible.
  
  
• Regulatory assurance and licensing readiness. Lead reviews and readiness engagements for licensed and prospective entities under the Payment Services Act (digital payment token services) and the FSMA 2022 digital token service provider regime, covering digital payment tokens, technology risk management, cyber hygiene, AML/CFT and Travel Rule controls, consumer-protection safeguards and, as the framework develops, single-currency stablecoin requirements.
  
  
• Attestation and controls reporting. Deliver independent assurance reports – SSAE/ISAE 3000, SOC 1 and SOC 2, proof-of-reserves and agreed-upon procedures related to digital assets – for exchanges, custodians and issuers whose institutional counterparties require independent assurance.
  
  
• Own engagement economics, quality and risk. Plan and manage scope, budgets, timelines, staffing and deliverables across a portfolio of concurrent engagements, applying EY quality, independence and risk management standards throughout.
  
  

People and firm

• Build and lead the team. Recruit, coach and develop a high-performing team of blockchain and technology risk specialists; set technical standards and run training and knowledge-sharing on digital asset topics across Assurance and other service lines.
  
  
• Develop our people. Act as a counsellor and role model, conduct performance reviews and provide feedback, and contribute to recruiting, retention and learning initiatives.
  
  
• Bring the whole of EY to clients. Collaborate closely with Technology Risk, Financial Audit, Cybersecurity, Financial Crime, Tax and Consulting colleagues, and with EY's global blockchain network, to deliver integrated solutions and identify new digital asset opportunities.

Skills and attributes for success

• Deep blockchain and digital asset knowledge. Bitcoin, Ethereum and other Layer 1 networks, architecture, the EVM, ERC token standards and EIPs, consensus mechanisms, Layer 2 networks, staking, DeFi protocols and cross-chain bridges – with the ability to assess an unfamiliar protocol from first principles.
  
  
• Hands-on understanding of custody technology. MPC, HSMs, multi-signature schemes, cold storage, wallet segregation, transaction policy engines and key ceremonies, and the operational controls that surround them.
  
  
• Command of the Singapore regulatory framework. The Payment Services Act, the FSMA 2022 digital token service provider regime, MAS technology risk management and cyber hygiene notices, AML/CFT and Travel Rule requirements, consumer-protection safeguards and the single-currency stablecoin framework – and a working view of how regimes across ASEAN and major markets compare.
  
  
• Assurance experience. Familiar with gathering audit evidence over on-chain balances and transactions for digital assets, controls assurance standards (SSAE/ISAE 3000, SOC) and the quality and independence requirements of a global audit firm.
  
  
• A confident communicator. Able to distil technical and regulatory complexity into clear language for boards, audit committees and regulators – and to hold your own in a room of engineers.
  
  
• Commercial judgement and a builder's mindset. The ability to spot high-impact opportunities, shape and price offerings, and grow a practice while protecting quality.

To qualify for the role, you must have

• A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related discipline.
  
  
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in financial services, fintech or professional services, with a substantial focus on technology risk, IT audit, assurance or compliance for blockchain and digital assets.
  
  
• Demonstrated subject matter expertise in blockchain and digital assets, including Ethereum ERC standards and EIPs, staking and DeFi protocols, and the evaluation of tokens and blockchain networks.
  
  
• Practical understanding of digital asset custody technologies and private key management controls.
  
  
• Working knowledge of Singapore's regulatory requirements for digital asset activities, including the Payment Services Act, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2022 and the relevant MAS notices and guidelines.
  
  
• A track record of leading client engagements and teams, managing engagement budgets and quality, and contributing to business development in a professional services or comparable environment.
  
  
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills in English.

Ideally, you'll also have

• A professional qualification such as CISA, CISSP, or CRISC, or a recognized blockchain or security credential; a master's degree is an advantage.
  
  
• Experience in a Big Four or comparable professional services environment, including performing or reviewing financial statement audit procedures over digital assets, or delivering SOC, ISAE 3000 or proof-of-reserves engagements.
  
  
• Familiarity with smart contract security review, on-chain analytics and blockchain forensic tools (for example Chainalysis, Elliptic or TRM Labs) and with reconciliation and accounting tools.
  
  
• Exposure to tokenization initiatives such as Project Guardian, tokenized funds and deposits, or stablecoin issuance and reserve management.
  
  
• Knowledge of digital asset regulatory regimes in other ASEAN and major markets (for example Hong Kong SFC, Securities Commission Malaysia, Thailand SEC, Indonesia OJK or EU MiCA) and of international standards from the FATF, IOSCO and the Basel Committee.
  
  
• A profile in the digital asset community through publications, speaking engagements, industry working groups or open-source contributions.

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All in to shape the future with confidence.