Strategic Partnerships Development Manager

LK Talent Collective; Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

LK Talent Collective in Dubai seeks a commercially driven Strategic Partnerships Development Manager to identify, develop and secure partnerships with PSPs, acquiring banks and other payments providers.

You will own the partnership lifecycle from initial outreach through to commercial negotiations and onboarding, coordinating with legal, compliance and product teams to ensure smooth integration and activation.

Qualifications

• Experience in payments business (PSP/acquirer) required.
• Proven success in partnerships or business development within payments.
• Strong understanding of PSPs, acquiring and payment processing.
• Experience turning introductions into commercial partnerships.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple partnership opportunities.
• Availability to start on short notice.

Responsibilities

• Research prospective PSPs, acquirers, processors and partners aligned with growth.
• Approach potential partners and build relationships with senior decision makers.
• Present the platform’s value proposition for partnerships.
• Assess partners' payment capabilities, coverage and commercial fit.
• Own the partnership development process from outreach to agreement.
• Lead commercial negotiations with legal/compliance for contracts and due diligence.
• Maintain a partnership pipeline and report progress and barriers.
• Represent the business at industry events and networking opportunities.
• Collaborate with commercial, product and technical teams for integration planning.
• Coordinate onboarding handovers and momentum toward activation.

Skills

Business development

Partnerships

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Networking

Communication

Job description

Strategic Partnerships Development Manager – Payment Solutions

Industry: Payments Technology / Fintech

Contract: Perm - Full Time

Location: Dubai

About the role

Our client, a payment orchestration platform, is looking for a commercially driven Strategic Partnerships Manager to identify, develop and secure new partnerships with payment service providers (PSPs), acquirers and other relevant payments businesses.

This is a relationship-led business development role focused on expanding the platform’s partner network and payment coverage. You will manage opportunities from initial research and outreach through to commercial negotiation, signed agreements and handover for onboarding.

Previous experience working in the payments industry is essential. Broader fintech experience without direct payments experience will not meet this requirement.

Key responsibilities

• Research and identify prospective PSPs, acquiring banks, payment processors and other relevant partners aligned with the platform’s growth strategy.
• Proactively approach potential partners and build relationships with senior commercial and technical decision makers.
• Clearly present the platform’s value proposition and demonstrate the benefits of a partnership.
• Assess prospective partners’ payment capabilities, geographic coverage and commercial suitability.
• Own the partnership development process from initial contact through to commercial agreement.
• Lead commercial negotiations within agreed parameters, coordinating with legal and compliance teams to progress contracts and due diligence.
• Maintain an accurate partnership pipeline, manage follow-ups and report on progress, opportunities and barriers.
• Represent the business at relevant industry events, conferences and networking opportunities.
• Collaborate with commercial, product and technical teams to assess opportunities and support integration planning.
• Coordinate clear handovers for partner onboarding and help maintain momentum towards activation.

Essential experience and skills

• Previous experience working for a payments business, such as a PSP, acquirer, payment gateway, processor or payment orchestration provider.
• Proven success in business development, strategic partnerships or partner acquisition within payments.
• A strong understanding of PSPs, acquiring, payment processing and the wider payments ecosystem.
• Demonstrable experience turning initial introductions into commercial partnerships.
• Strong communication, presentation, networking and negotiation skills.
• Confidence engaging with senior stakeholders and managing commercial discussions.
• A proactive, self-motivated approach and the ability to deliver independently.
• Strong organisational skills and experience managing multiple partnership opportunities simultaneously.
• An established network of contacts across PSPs and acquirers.
• Direct experience working with a payment orchestration platform.
• Experience supporting partners through integration, onboarding and activation.
• Availability to start at short notice.

Priorities for the initial three months

Specific targets will be agreed at the start of the contract, with a focus on:

• Establishing a prioritised list of suitable PSP and acquirer partners.
• Building a qualified pipeline and securing meetings with relevant decision makers.
• Progressing opportunities into substantive commercial discussions and proposals.
• Advancing priority partnerships towards signed agreements, with clear next steps for onboarding.
• Providing regular, accurate reporting on progress and any dependencies affecting delivery.