Dubai-Based MENA Growth & Banking Partnerships Lead

Openkrill; United States; Remote; USD 191,000 - 245,000; Full time

Job summary

Column is seeking an Emerging Markets Lead based in Dubai to drive 0-to-1 growth for a new banking product, focusing on MENA. You will build and nurture relationships with prospective partners and customers, and be on the founding team for a new business line with autonomy and real impact on global expansion.

This role requires traveling across the region and occasional trips to San Francisco, owning end-to-end market development, leading complex partnerships, and shaping regional strategy with

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, growth, operations or strategy in a high-caliber environment
• 4+ years of business experience specifically in MENA
• Native fluency in Arabic and experience managing business relationships with Arabic-speaking clients and stakeholders
• Track record of successfully managing complex partnerships and high-value deals with executive stakeholders
• Natural networker who thrives on building trust and long-term relationships with senior executives, market experts and decision-makers
• Strong strategic thinking - ability to assess market opportunities, evaluate potential partners, and provide strategic recommendations to senior leadership
• Hyper-organized approach to project management, including coordinating efforts across multiple teams; comfort juggling multiple projects and priorities is critical
• Scrappy, roll-up-your-sleeves attitude - we thrive because we work harder, are more creative, and have zero ego when it comes to getting our hands dirty to build a business

Responsibilities

• Lead regional market development: Own the end-to-end process of identifying, evaluating, and executing on high-value partnerships with banks across a number of international markets.
• Build and maintain key relationships: Serve as the primary relationship owner for prospective and existing customers, conducting regular in-person meetings, attending local industry events, and managing ongoing partnership development.
• Own partnership execution: Lead complex deal processes from initial outreach through contract signature, working collaboratively with Column’s Legal, Compliance, and Product teams.
• Develop market intelligence: Gather and synthesize insights on local market conditions, regulatory developments, competitive landscape, and customer needs to inform Column’s regional strategy.
• Market expertise and network: Become an expert on the correspondent banking space in our key emerging markets and build an extensive network within their banking and fintech ecosystems.
• Drive operational excellence: Build scalable processes for onboarding, relationship management, and ongoing support that can be replicated as we expand.

Job description

Column is seeking an Emerging Markets Lead based in Dubai to drive 0-to-1 growth for a new banking product, focusing on MENA. You will build and nurture relationships with prospective partners and customers, and be on the founding team for a new business line with autonomy and real impact on global expansion.

This role requires traveling across the region and occasional trips to San Francisco, owning end-to-end market development, leading complex partnerships, and shaping regional strategy with