Senior Business Development Manager — Middle East & Africa, Fintech

Xsolla; Dubai; On-site; AED 600,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Xsolla seeks a Senior Business Development leader for the Middle East & Africa to drive strategic partnerships and revenue growth across the region. You will own regional relationships, align partners with internal teams, and represent Xsolla at senior levels in cross-border discussions.

The ideal candidate brings 10+ years in payments/fintech partnerships, deep MEA market knowledge, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.

Qualifications

• 10 years of experience in business development, partnerships, or commercial roles in payments/fintech/digital platforms.
• Proven track record managing senior relationships across MEA markets.
• Strong negotiation skills with multi-country deal closures.
• Understanding of cross-border fund flows and commercial structures.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
• Fluency in English and Arabic.
• Willingness to travel across MEA as needed.

Responsibilities

• Own and grow strategic partnerships across Middle East and Africa including payments providers and financial institutions.
• Act as the primary regional point of contact for senior external stakeholders.
• Identify new partnership opportunities to support sustainable regional growth.
• Lead negotiations of commercial terms in alignment with global strategy and regional requirements.
• Evaluate and improve regional commercial arrangements for competitiveness and efficiency.
• Collaborate with internal teams (product, finance, risk, compliance, legal) to align partnership structures with business goals.
• Contribute to regional pricing, routing, and partnership strategies based on performance and market conditions.
• Monitor partner performance and drive improvements through data-driven insights.

Skills

Strategic partnerships

Negotiation

Cross-border

Leadership

Job description

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for a Senior Business Development leader for Middle East & Africa to drive strategic partnerships and commercial growth across the two regions. This role will act as a regional owner for key external relationships ensuring strong alignment between partners internal stakeholders and long-term business objectives. The ideal candidate has deep experience in the Middle East and African payments and fintech ecosystem understands complex cross-border commercial structures and can confidently represent the company in senior-level discussions across multiple markets. While the role focuses on business development it also requires a strong understanding of operational and financial implications behind partnership models.

ABOUT US

Xsolla is a global commerce company with robust tools and services to help developers solve the inherent challenges of the video game industry. From indie to AAA companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund distribute market and monetize their games. Grounded in the belief in the future of video games Xsolla is resolute in the mission to bring opportunities together and continually make new resources available to creators. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles California Xsolla operates as the merchant of record and has helped over 1500 game developers to reach more players and grow their businesses around the world. With more paths to profits and ways to win developers have all the things needed to enjoy the game. For more information visit.

Key responsibilities

• Own and grow strategic partnerships across Middle East and Africa including payment service providers financial institutions and other ecosystem partners.
• Act as the primary regional point of contact for senior external stakeholders.
• Identify new partnership opportunities that support sustainable growth and regional scalability.
• Lead negotiations of commercial terms in alignment with global strategy and regional requirements.

• Evaluate and continuously improve regional commercial arrangements to ensure competitiveness and long-term efficiency.
• Work closely with internal teams (product finance risk compliance legal) to align partnership structures with business goals.
• Contribute to regional pricing routing and partnership strategies based on performance and market conditions.
• Monitor partner performance and drive improvements through data-driven insights and structured reviews.

• Serve as a trusted regional advisor to global teams providing market intelligence and recommendations.
• Ensure a strong understanding of existing regional partnerships and operational setups.
• Support internal decision-making with a clear view of local market practices and constraints.

• Maintain a strong understanding of regional regulatory and operational frameworks affecting partnerships in Middle East and Africa
• Support the design and evolution of compliant operating models across different countries in collaboration with internal stakeholders.
• Anticipate market changes and emerging trends that may impact commercial structures or partner strategies.

Required qualifications

• 10 years of experience in business development partnerships operations or commercial roles within payments fintech or digital platforms.
• Proven experience managing senior-level relationships across multiple Middle East and Africa markets.
• Strong commercial negotiation skills with a track record of closing complex multi-country agreements.
• Solid understanding of cross-border business models fund flows and commercial structures.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
• Fluency in English and Arabic
• Willingness to travel across Middle East and Africa as needed.

Preferred Experience

• Experience working with regional or global platforms operating in Middle East and Africa
• Familiarity with payment ecosystems across Middle East and Africa markets.
• Exposure to complex partnership or operational models involving multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience acting as a regional lead or informal manager across countries.

BENEFITS

We are passionate about fostering a supportive environment for our team so we prioritize the physical mental and emotional well-being of our employees through a comprehensive Benefits Program. This includes unlimited Flexible Time Off and a personalized career roadmap for each employee. By investing in professional development through training and educational opportunities we ensure that our team thrives both personally and professionally. Together were not just building a business; were cultivating a community that values creativity collaboration and the transformative power of play.

The duties and responsibilities of this position may evolve over time to support the organizations goals and individual growth. This job description is intended to outline the general nature and level of work being performed and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties responsibilities and qualifications required.

By submitting your application you consent to Xsolla conducting background checks where permitted by law after the final interview stage. All checks will comply with local regulations and your information will be handled confidentially. Xsolla takes your privacy seriously and will not sell or externally distribute any personal data received during the hiring accordance with applicable data protection laws Xsolla is committed to protecting your personal information and respecting your privacy.

For any inquiries related to data privacy please contact:emailprotected

Explore more opportunities at: may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process such as reviewing applications analyzing resumes or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed please contact us.

Required Experience

Manager