Head of Partnerships

Deem Finance; Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial institution is seeking a Head of Partnerships to drive growth through strategic alliances across embedded finance and fintech ecosystems. The ideal candidate will possess excellent negotiation skills, a strong understanding of financial products, and experience in partnership management. This role is pivotal in shaping the bank's product accessibility and aligning with its retail banking strategy. With a focus on innovative customer engagement, the successful candidate will work cross-functionally to ensure seamless integration of partnerships within the organization.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of experience in Retail Banking.
• Proven success in partnerships, alliances, or business development.
• Deep understanding of credit cards, personal loans, and SME loan products.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own the end-to-end partnership strategy.
• Lead negotiations of complex commercial agreements.
• Define and track key performance metrics for all partnerships.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Negotiation skills

Relationship management

Commercial acumen

Data-driven

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Marketing

MBA preferred

Job description

Job Overview

• The Head of Partnerships plays a pivotal role in driving the bank’s growth agenda through the establishment and management of high-impact strategic alliances. This role is focused on unlocking new channels for customer acquisition, engagement, and revenue generation by partnering with embedded finance players, fintechs, digital platforms, and other non-traditional distribution ecosystems.
• In line with the bank’s retail banking strategy—centered around Credit Cards, Personal Loans, and SME Lending—the Head of Partnerships will proactively identify and develop value-driven collaborations that enhance product accessibility, deliver superior customer experiences, and drive innovation. The role requires a strong understanding of both traditional financial products and emerging digital ecosystems, as well as the ability to bridge internal capabilities with external opportunities.
• As the champion of the partnership function, this leader will work cross-functionally with Product, Digital, Risk, Marketing, Compliance, and Technology teams to ensure seamless integration of partners into the bank’s infrastructure. The Head of Partnerships will also ensure that all engagements are commercially viable, compliant with regulatory frameworks, and aligned with long-term strategic goals.
• This role is ideal for a commercially savvy, digitally fluent, and relationship-oriented leader who can blend strategy with execution and build scalable partnerships that position the bank as a key player in the evolving embedded finance and fintech ecosystem.

Job Responsibilities

Strategic Partnership Development & Ecosystem Expansion

• Develop and own the end-to-end partnership strategy to support the growth objectives of Credit Cards, Personal Loans, and SME Lending.
• Identify and evaluate high-potential embedded finance opportunities by collaborating with fintechs, super apps, digital marketplaces, payment platforms, telcos, and other ecosystem players.
• Build a forward-looking ecosystem map and maintain a robust pipeline of strategic partners across various stages of engagement.
• Lead market scanning, competitive benchmarking, and innovation mapping to ensure Deem remains ahead of market trends.

Deal Structuring, Negotiation & Contracting

• Lead negotiations of complex commercial agreements, co-branded arrangements, and API-based integrations with external partners.
• Structure mutually beneficial partnerships with clear value exchange, incentive mechanisms, and shared success KPIs.
• Ensure commercial terms are in alignment with internal profitability metrics and long-term strategic goals

Cross-Functional Execution & Internal Alignment

• Act as the central coordinator between Product, Digital, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Finance, and IT to ensure partnership readiness and operational alignment.
• Champion a “partnerships as a platform” model internally by promoting agile onboarding, standardized processes, and collaborative governance frameworks.
• Oversee end-to-end integration planning including due diligence, risk evaluation, data sharing protocols, technical enablement, and post-launch support.

Embedded Finance Enablement

• Design and execute embedded journeys for product offerings within partner platforms (e.g., in-app credit approvals, BNPL, partner checkout financing, digital KYC).
• Collaborate with the digital and technology teams to enable seamless API integrations, digital onboarding, and partner-led origination models.
• Explore and test innovative use cases such as contextual lending, micro-credits, and alternate credit scoring using partner data.

Go-to-Market & Co-Brand Execution

• Develop and oversee joint GTM plans with partners, including digital campaigns, co-branded assets, launch events, and customer onboarding experiences.
• Align closely with Marketing, CX, and Product teams to ensure partner offerings deliver high engagement, activation, and customer lifetime value.

Performance Management & Optimization

• Define and track key performance metrics for all partnerships—customer acquisition, usage, revenue contribution, cross-sell, and NPS.
• Monitor partner performance and implement continuous improvement plans based on data-driven insights and customer feedback.
• Ensure scalability and sustainability of partnerships through regular performance reviews and partner scorecards.

Governance, Compliance & Risk Oversight

• Ensure all partnerships are in full compliance with regulatory requirements, internal risk standards, data privacy rules, and customer protection frameworks.
• Establish governance protocols for partnership onboarding, ongoing monitoring, escalation handling, and periodic review.
• Collaborate with Risk and Legal to manage partner onboarding risks, reputational exposure, and contingency planning.

Stakeholder Management & Leadership Engagement

• Present strategic partnership plans and performance updates to the Executive Leadership Team.
• Influence internal stakeholders to embrace partnerships as a core strategic lever for growth.
• Represent the bank at industry forums, fintech networks, and ecosystem roundtables to build brand presence and network opportunities.

Work Experience

Work Experience & Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Marketing, or related field; MBA preferred.
• 8–12 years of experience in Retail Banking, with proven success in partnerships, alliances, or business development.
• Deep understanding of credit cards, personal loans, and SME loan products.
• Experience in engaging with fintechs, embedded finance models, and ecosystem-based distribution.

Skills/Behavioral Attributes

• Strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen.
• Excellent negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Strong understanding of digital ecosystems and emerging financial technology trends.
• Collaborative leader with the ability to work cross-functionally.
• Data-driven with a focus on measurable results.