MEA Senior Director, Partnerships & Growth (Payments)

Circle Internet MEA Ltd; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 734,000 - 1,836,000; Full time

Job summary

Circle is seeking a Senior Director of Business Development & Partnerships to lead MEA expansion across fintechs, PSPs and financial institutions. Based in Dubai, you will identify high-value opportunities, structure transformative deals, and own ongoing partner success across the region with extensive travel.

The role blends strategic dealmaking with partner management, requiring deep payments/fintech knowledge, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to navigate regulatory environments.

Qualifications

• 13+ years of experience in business development or partner management in financial services, fintech, or digital assets.

Responsibilities

• Lead MEA expansion and partner ecosystem across fintechs, PSPs, and financial institutions.
• Identify and close high-value opportunities and ensure partner activation and revenue growth.
• Structure deals, validate commercial models, and forecast opportunities with data-driven approaches.
• Maintain post-close relationships and drive joint business plans with partners.
• Collaborate with product, compliance, legal, and marketing to maximize partner success and scale adoption.

Skills

Business development

Partnership management

Negotiation

Financial modelling

Regulatory awareness

AI/analytics

Communication

MEA market knowledge

Tools

CRM

Job description

Circle is seeking a Senior Director of Business Development & Partnerships to lead MEA expansion across fintechs, PSPs and financial institutions. Based in Dubai, you will identify high-value opportunities, structure transformative deals, and own ongoing partner success across the region with extensive travel.

The role blends strategic dealmaking with partner management, requiring deep payments/fintech knowledge, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to navigate regulatory environments.