Partnerships Lead Full Time NEW

As Partnerships Lead, you will own and scale the company’s strategic partner ecosystem in the acquiring and digital payments market. You will lead high-impact partnerships with banks, acquirers, PSPs, PayFacs, wallets, telcos, government-linked entities, and enterprise merchants to drive transaction growth, product adoption, and long-term commercial value.

This is a senior, hands-on role combining strategy, commercial ownership, and execution, requiring deep knowledge of the payments ecosystem and the ability to build trusted relationships across regulated financial institutions and key ecosystem partners.

Responsibilities:

Partnership Strategy & Ownership

• Define and execute the partnerships strategy aligned with company growth objectives and market demands.
• Identify, prioritize, and develop strategic partnerships across banks, acquirers, PSPs, PayFacs, wallets, POS providers, and government-linked entities.
• Build and manage a high-value partner pipeline focused on driving transaction volume, merchant acquisition, and revenue growth.
• Establish clear KPIs and success metrics for partner performance and long-term impact.

Commercial Leadership & Deal Execution

• Own end-to-end commercial negotiations, including pricing, MDR structures, revenue share models, SLAs, and contractual terms.
• Structure partnerships that align with local market economics, scheme rules, and regulatory requirements.
• Develop business cases for new partnerships, product launches, and expansion opportunities.
• Drive joint go-to-market initiatives with partners to acquire and activate SME and enterprise merchants.

Partner Execution & Growth

• Manage the full partner lifecycle: sourcing, onboarding, integration, launch, optimisation, and retention.
• Drive adoption of acquiring and value-added payment products such as POS, SoftPOS, QR payments, online acquiring, APIs, wallets, and value-added services.
• Identify high-impact use cases across key verticals (retail, F&B, e-commerce, marketplaces, mobility, government payments).
• Activate co-selling, joint marketing, and enablement initiatives to maximize partner-led growth.

Cross-Functional & Regulatory Collaboration

• Work closely with Product, Engineering, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Operations, and Sales to ensure smooth partner integrations and launches.
• Navigate local regulatory and scheme requirements (e.g., Central Bank, card schemes) impacting acquiring and payment partnerships.
• Act as the internal voice of the partner ecosystem, translating external needs into product and commercial priorities.

Ecosystem Engagement & Representation

• Represent the company in industry forums, partner meetings, and ecosystem events.
• Build senior-level relationships with banks, regulators, and strategic partners.
• Monitor market trends, competitive developments, and regulatory changes to inform partnership strategy.

Requirements:

• 8+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, or commercial roles within payments, fintech, acquiring, or financial services.
• Strong understanding of the payments ecosystem, including banks, PSPs, PayFacs, and local schemes.
• Proven track record of closing and scaling strategic partnerships that drive material revenue or transaction growth.
• Strong commercial negotiation and deal-structuring skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence stakeholders without direct authority.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Fluent English required; Arabic is a plus.