Role Summary
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.
