Country Business Lead

Ant International; Dubai; Hybrid; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading digital payment services provider is seeking a Country Business Lead to oversee their merchant acquiring business in the Middle East. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in the financial services industry, a track record of driving business growth, and strong relationships in the regional market. This role is crucial for scaling operations in the region, with a focus on collaboration and cross-functional synergy.

Qualifications

• Deep experience in business development and merchant acquiring.
• Proven track record in driving business growth.
• Deep understanding of the Middle East market and regulatory environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee merchant acquiring business in the Middle East.
• Collaborate with local partners for competitive channels.
• Monitor market trends to identify business growth opportunities.
• Build relationships with stakeholders including merchants and partners.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration within the organization.

Skills

Business development

Merchant acquiring

Communication

Negotiation

Relationship-building

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, or related field

Job description

Country Business Lead – Antom Middle East

Location - We are open to location on this critical role – ideally Dubai, UAE or Riyadh, KSA.

Ant International powers the future of global commerce with digital innovation for everyone and every business to thrive. In close collaboration with partners, we support merchants of all sizes worldwide to realize their growth aspirations through a comprehensive range of tech-driven digital payment and financial services solutions.

You may have seen us as the payment partner and key sponsor of UEFA and the Euros, the Olympics, Tottenham Hotspur and other sporting sensations!

With a focus on Travel, Trade, Technology, and Talent, Ant International is committed to enhancing the digital mindset and capacities of businesses worldwide. Through fostering collaborative efforts with partners, we are driving responsible innovation and market accessibility. We do so across our 4 key businesses: Alipay+, Antom, WorldFirst and ANEXT Bank.

The Role:

This leadership role is focused on the Antom business - a leading provider of payment processing services for merchants worldwide. Antom offers comprehensive, vertical specific digital payment solutions tailored to meet the needs of merchants of all sizes. Currently, Antom supports merchants across over 40 countries and regions, providing access to hundreds of payment methods globally.

The role is a foundational step towards our scaling investment in the Middle East. The role will require a commercially astute and well connected regional executive who is entrepreneurial and happy to get involved with the detail - whilst forecasting and strategizing with global leadership. This hands-on role will include a significant amount of foundational ground work (with global support) before scaling up in the region.

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead and oversee merchant acquiring business in Middle East, ensuring growth and profitability.

- Collaborate with local partners to provide competitive channels for merchants within the Middle East and globally.

- Monitor market trends and competitor activities to identify opportunities for business growth and innovation.

- Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including merchants, partners, and regulatory bodies.

- Drive cross-functional collaboration within the organization to ensure seamless execution of business strategies.

- Develop and implement key performance indicators to measure the success of business initiatives and drive continuous improvement.

Key requirements:

- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, or related field;

- Deep and significant experience in business development, merchant acquiring, and/or related roles within the financial services industry.

- Proven track record of success in driving business growth and profitability.

- Deep understanding of the Middle East market and regulatory environment (ideally network/relationships in place)

- Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.

- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

- Fluency in English is mandatory (lingua franca). Arabic is distinctly advantageous. Chinese (Mandarin) would be the trifecta.