Director of Partnerships (Financial Institutions)

Confidential; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading payment solutions provider in Singapore is seeking a Director of Partnerships to lead the development of its global financial ecosystem. The role involves strategic partnership leadership, overseeing account setups, and ensuring technical integration with financial institutions. Candidates should have over 12 years of experience in banking or payments and a proven ability to manage high-value partnerships. Strong negotiation skills and industry knowledge are essential for success in this position.

Qualifications

• 812+ years of experience in banking, payments, fintech partnerships, or financial infrastructure.
• Proven track record of negotiating and managing high-value FI partnerships.
• Strong industry network across banks, payment institutions, or cross-border payment providers.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the company's FI partnership strategy across multiple sectors.
• Lead commercial negotiations with banks and FI partners.
• Oversee end-to-end onboarding processes with FI partners.
• Provide strategic oversight for API integrations and product enablement.
• Mentor a growing team as the FI ecosystem builds out.

Skills

Strategic partnership leadership

Negotiation skills

Financial institutions operations

Technical integration

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

About Us

Our Client is a leading Singapore-based digital payment solution provider, licensed and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) as a Major Payment Institution.

Role Summary

About the Role

We are seeking a Director of Partnerships to lead the development, expansion, and management of our global financial institution ecosystem. This role combines strategic partnership leadership, new FI acquisition, and hands‑on oversight of account setup, technical integrations, and operational performance.

As a senior leader in the company, you will define our FI partnership strategy, build a diversified ecosystem of banking and payment partners, and ensure our infrastructure scales with the business.

Key Responsibilities

FI Partnership Strategy & Ecosystem Expansion

• Define and execute the company's FI partnership strategy across banks, payment institutions, clearing networks, and other financial partners
• Build, grow, and manage a multi-institution FI ecosystem that supports product scalability and global expansion
• Identify new FI opportunities, channels, and financial products that drive competitive advantage
• Establish long‑term strategic relationships with senior leaders across banking, payment, and fintech sectors

High‑Level Relationship Management & Negotiations

• Lead commercial negotiations with banks and FI partners, including pricing, risk, compliance, and product offerings
• Drive partnership structures (multi‑account, multi‑route, global treasury, cross‑border settlements, liquidity solutions)
• Serve as the executive‑level point of contact for key partnerships

FI Account Setup, Due Diligence & Operational Governance

• Oversee end‑to‑end onboarding processes with FI partners (KYC/KYB, documentation, approvals, account structure design)
• Evaluate the performance, cost efficiency, and reliability of all banking channels and payment routes
• Ensure the right account types, pricing models, and cooperation frameworks are in place to support business growth

Technical Integration & Product Enablement

• Provide strategic oversight for API integrations, UAT testing, and product‑to‑FI technical alignment
• Work with Engineering and Product teams to ensure seamless implementation and ongoing stability
• Shape long‑term technical partnership roadmaps with FI partners

Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Collaborate closely with Product, Engineering, Compliance, Risk, Operations, and Business teams
• Build processes, SOPs, and reporting structures for FI relationship management
• Mentor a growing team as the FI ecosystem builds out

Minimum Requirements

• 812+ years of experience in banking, payments, fintech partnerships, or financial infrastructure
• Proven track record of negotiating and managing high‑value FI partnerships
• Strong industry network across banks, payment institutions, or cross‑border payment providers
• Deep understanding of payment flows, treasury, settlement, regulatory requirements, and FI operational mechanics
• Experience overseeing complex integrations and cross‑functional partnership launches
• Executive‑level communication skills and ability to influence senior stakeholders

Preferred Requirements

• Experience launching or scaling FI ecosystems in a fintech startup
• Familiarity with API‑based payment systems, card schemes, liquidity networks, or global treasury solutions
• Previous leadership experience building and managing teams
• Ability to balance strategic vision with hands‑on execution

Key Competencies

• Strong self‑motivation and ownership able to independently drive initiatives in a fast‑paced environment.
• Proven ability to deliver consistently translates strategy into concrete outcomes and achieves measurable impact. delivers results efficiently and manages multiple priorities with clarity.
• Strong strategic thinking and sound judgment able to quickly assess situations, identify opportunities/risks, and make well‑founded decisions.
• Influence and leadership capable of aligning cross‑functional teams and driving decisions without direct authority.
• Resilient and adaptable comfortable with ambiguity and able to perform under pressure.