Head SME Ecosystem & Growth

Boost Holdings Sdn Bhd; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 350,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

Boost Holdings Sdn Bhd is seeking a Head of SME Ecosystem & Growth to lead the commercial strategy and end-to-end performance of the SME proposition. You will drive customer acquisition, ecosystem partnerships, deposit growth, payments adoption, and financing conversion across the SME journey from onboarding to disbursement.

You will oversee the development of a holistic SME ecosystem, collaborate cross-functionally, and accelerate growth while ensuring risk and regulatory adherence.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of leadership experience in SME/Business Banking or Fintech.
• Proven track record in building and scaling commercial ecosystems.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capabilities.
• Experience managing strategic partnerships and cross-functional initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Drive SME business growth through acquisition, activation, retention and revenue targets.
• Build and expand SME ecosystem partnerships across merchants, e-commerce, POS, and gov't initiatives.
• Lead embedded banking propositions combining business accounts, payments, and financing.
• Manage end-to-end SME customer funnel from onboarding to servicing and financing.
• Drive SME lending growth, improve application-to-disbursement conversion and cycles.
• Lead SME marketing and customer acquisition with digital channels and partnerships.
• Champion SME customer experience across onboarding, payments, financing, and servicing.
• Establish performance dashboards and regular reporting to Management and stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Partnership development

Data-driven decisions

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Finance

Job description

The Head, SME Ecosystem & Growth is responsible for leading the commercial strategy, growth, and end-to-end performance of Boost Bank's SME proposition. The role drives customer acquisition, ecosystem partnerships, deposit growth, payments adoption, and financing conversion for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) customers. This position will oversee the development and expansion of a holistic SME ecosystem that integrates Business Accounts, Payments, and Financing solutions, ensuring a seamless customer journey from onboarding through financing disbursement. The incumbent will work cross-functionally to accelerate business growth, optimize customer experience, and deliver sustainable commercial outcomes.

Key responsibilities

1. Drive SME Business Growth

Develop and execute growth strategies to achieve SME customer acquisition, activation, retention, and revenue targets.

Own and deliver business performance across:

• SME account acquisition
• Active customer growth
• Payments and QR adoption
• Financing applications and disbursements
• Customer engagement and revenue generation

Monitor monthly, quarterly, and annual performance against business objectives.

Implement corrective actions and growth initiatives to address performance gaps.

2. Build and Expand SME Ecosystem Partnerships

Identify, develop, and manage strategic partnerships that generate SME and merchant acquisition opportunities.

Establish collaborations with:

• Merchant and retail ecosystems
• E-commerce platforms
• SME associations and business communities
• Telecommunications and technology providers
• POS, accounting, and business management solution providers
• Government-linked SME initiatives and agencies
• Supply chain, distributor, and marketplace ecosystems

Design embedded banking propositions integrating business accounts, payments, and financing solutions.

Manage the end-to-end partnership lifecycle from sourcing and negotiation to launch and performance optimization.

3. Lead the Embedded Banking Proposition

Drive growth of the integrated: Business Account + Payments + Financing proposition.

Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to maximize customer progression across the ecosystem.

Develop strategies to convert merchants into banking customers and financing prospects.

Leverage transaction and ecosystem data to improve customer engagement, product adoption, and financing conversion while ensuring compliance with risk and regulatory requirements.

4. Manage the End-to-End SME Customer Funnel

Own and monitor the complete SME customer journey:

Track and improve:

• Conversion rates
• Application completion rates
• Turnaround times

Work closely with Product, Technology, Operations, Credit, Compliance, and Customer Experience teams to improve customer journeys and operational efficiency.

5. Drive SME Lending Growth and Conversion

Partner with Lending, Credit, and Risk teams to build and maintain a strong financing pipeline.

Develop strategies to:

• Increase financing applications
• Improve application-to-approval conversion
• Improve approval-to-disbursement conversion
• Reduce turnaround times
• Address financing rejection and drop-off trends
• Launch targeted financing campaigns for existing SME customers and merchants.

Ensure commercial and customer journey effectiveness while adhering to established credit governance frameworks.

6. Lead SME Marketing and Customer Acquisition

Collaborate with Marketing to develop and execute SME acquisition and engagement strategies.

Drive customer acquisition through:

• Digital marketing channels
• SME communities and associations
• Referral programs
• Events and industry engagements

Ensure marketing investments deliver measurable commercial results and customer value.

7. Champion SME Customer Experience

Serve as the business owner of the SME customer experience across:

• Customer onboarding and eKYC/KYB
• QR and payment services activation
• Financing application and documentation
• Approval and disbursement processes
• Ongoing account servicing

Utilize customer insights and operational data to identify improvement opportunities and drive service excellence initiatives.

8. Performance Management and Business Reporting

Establish and maintain a comprehensive SME business dashboard covering:

• New SME accounts
• Active customers
• QR and payment gateway adoption
• Financing applications and approvals
• Turnaround times
• Funnel conversion rates
• Partner performance
• Customer acquisition cost
• Revenue and customer lifetime value

Prepare regular business updates for Management and key stakeholders.

Recommend actions and strategic initiatives to address performance gaps and improve business outcomes.

About you

Bachelor's Degree in Business, Banking, Finance, Economics, Marketing or a related discipline.

Minimum 10 years of relevant experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role within SME/Business Banking, Merchant Acquiring or Payments, Digital Banking, SME Lending, Fintech, Ecosystem Partnerships, Digital Commerce or Platform Businesses.

Proven track record in building and scaling commercial businesses, customer acquisition programs, or ecosystem-led growth initiatives.

Strong understanding of banking products, payments, lending, and SME customer needs.

Experience managing strategic partnerships and cross-functional initiatives.

Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capabilities.

Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and drive execution across multiple functions.