Partnerships Specialist

Astra Tech Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Astra Tech Group is seeking an SME Partnerships Manager in Dubai to own end-to-end partnership operations, from engagement through disbursement. You will drive funnel accuracy, MIS reporting and performance analysis while coordinating onboarding and feedback with SMEs and partners.

Ideal candidates have 2–4 years in partnerships or lending ops, strong Excel and communication skills, and a proactive, ownership-driven mindset to improve the lending journey in a regulated financial services

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline.
• 2–4 years of experience in managing sales operations, partnerships or lending operations in financial services.
• Hands-on experience in partner management, funnel and performance tracking, and MIS reporting.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills: formulas, pivot tables, data validation and reconciliation; strong reporting/presentation skills; familiarity with CRM/workflow/BI tools.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with stakeholders.
• Proven track record of end-to-end ownership of processes or outcomes with proactive follow-up.
• Experience in SME lending/fintech/banking or regulated financial services is preferred; understanding lending-funnel metrics is advantageous.
• Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail and sound judgment with sensitive data.

Responsibilities

• Act as the day-to-day contact for SME lending partners and manage relationships.
• Own partnership sales processes from lead generation through disbursement with timely execution.
• Maintain accurate partner funnels, pipeline and performance trackers.
• Build MIS reports and dashboards on partnership performance for management and partners.
• Analyze data to identify trends, bottlenecks and improvements in conversion and engagement.
• Engage with SMEs to gather feedback and drive improvements in the lending journey.
• Coordinate partner onboarding, documentation and reviews with stakeholders.
• Follow up on outstanding information and operational requirements for partnership customers.
• Track security cheques and ensure proper documentation and reconciliation.
• Identify opportunities to automate trackers and reporting processes.

Skills

Partner management

Funnel tracking

MIS reporting

Excel

CRM/BI tools

Communication skills

Ownership mindset

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics or Data Analytics

Tools

CRM

BI tools

Job description

Role Summary

Own the end-to-end management of SME lending partnerships, from partner engagement and funnel tracking through MIS reporting, performance analysis and operational follow-up. You will be the main point of contact for partners. You will make sure that sales and business processes run smoothly, that performance is tracked accurately, and that partner and borrower feedback becomes actions that grow the business.

Responsibilities

• Partner Management & Communication: Act as the day-to-day point of contact for partners. Hold regular check-ins and performance conversations, and keep relationships strong. Represent the partnership clearly and confidently, both externally and with internal stakeholders.

• End-to-End Process Ownership: Own partnership sales and business processes from lead generation through application, approval and disbursement. Make sure each stage runs to agreed timelines and standards, and drive issues to resolution rather than just flagging them.

• Funnel & Performance Tracking: Maintain accurate, up-to-date partnership pipeline and activity trackers, with clear visibility of leads, opportunities, applications, conversions and ongoing initiatives. Own the accuracy and completeness of partnership data across Excel trackers and internal systems.

• MIS Reporting & Dashboards: Build and own regular MIS reports and dashboards on partnership performance, covering leads generated, applications, approvals, disbursements, conversion rates and other agreed KPIs. Present the insights to management and partners.

• Performance Analysis: Analyze partnership and SME funnel data to identify trends, drop-offs, bottlenecks and opportunities to improve conversion, engagement and overall partnership performance.

• SME Engagement & Feedback: Engage directly with SMEs to gather feedback on their experience, understand pain points and find ways to improve the lending journey. Consolidate SME and partner feedback into actionable insights and recommendations.

• Partner Onboarding & Reviews: Lead partner onboarding and make sure the required documentation, processes and trackers are completed and maintained. Prepare partner reviews, presentations, business cases and performance updates.

• Operational Follow-up: Follow up with partners, SMEs and internal teams on outstanding documentation, information and operational requirements for partnership-generated customers.

• Security Cheque Control: Track and maintain records of security cheques collected from SME borrowers. Ensure accurate documentation, custody-status tracking and reconciliation in line with internal processes, and elevate missing records or discrepancies promptly.

• Process Improvement & Automation: Identify opportunities to automate manual trackers and reporting processes. Work with the relevant teams to improve efficiency, strengthen controls and reduce operational risk.

• Partnership Initiatives: Support ad-hoc partnership initiatives, campaigns and projects as the SME lending business grows.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Data Analytics or another relevant discipline.

• 2-4 years of experience managing sales or business processes, ideally in partnerships, sales operations, business operations or lending operations within financial services.

• Hands-on experience in partner management, funnel and performance tracking, and MIS reporting.

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, pivot tables, data validation and reconciliation; strong reporting and presentation skills; familiarity with CRM, workflow or business-intelligence tools is advantageous.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the confidence to engage partners and senior stakeholders regularly.

• A proven track record of taking end-to-end ownership of processes or outcomes, with a proactive, self-driven approach to follow-up and problem-solving.

• Experience in SME lending, fintech, banking, credit or another regulated financial‑services environment is preferred. Understanding of lending‑funnel metrics is advantageous.

• Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, organizational skills and sound judgment when handling sensitive customer and financial information.