Senior Ecosystem and Partnership Lead

WatersEdge Solutions; Johannesburg; Hybrid; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading fintech firm is seeking a Senior Ecosystem and Partnership Lead in Johannesburg (Hybrid) to design and scale a global ecosystem for employee share plan management. This high-impact role involves strategic research and commercial structuring, engaging with partners across global regions. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in partnerships and business development, along with strong commercial acumen. A flexible working model is offered, along with a chance to impact revenue and market strategy.

Benefits

High ownership role

Flexible hybrid working

Opportunity to impact revenue and market strategy

Qualifications

• Strong commercial acumen with a track record of closing multi-party, cross-border partnership deals.
• Experience in fintech and capital markets.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Define full-service partner ecosystems by geography across employee equity value chains.
• Engage and negotiate with strategic partners across global regions.
• Align partnership execution with sales, product, and operational teams.

Skills

Senior-level experience in partnerships

Strong commercial acumen

Stakeholder engagement

Negotiation skills

Self-starter mindset

Job description

Location: Johannesburg (Hybrid)
Employment Type: Full-Time
Industry: Fintech | Equity Compensation | SaaS | Global Partnerships

About the Role

WatersEdge Solutions is partnering with a global equity platform to recruit a Senior Ecosystem and Partnership Lead. This is a high-impact, commercially accountable role at the heart of designing and scaling a global ecosystem for employee share plan management. The successful candidate will shape regional go-to-market strategies, define partner ecosystems, and lead end-to-end commercial deal execution.

You’ll combine strategic research, commercial structuring, and ecosystem development to position the company as the central platform across legal, tax, tech, payroll, HRIS, and capital markets services. This role is ideal for a senior commercial leader who thrives in complex, multi-party environments and is driven by delivering tangible business value.

Key Responsibilities

• Define full-service partner ecosystems by geography across employee equity value chains

• Identify and evaluate service providers across legal, tax, advisory, brokerage, trust, HR/payroll, and tech

• Originate, engage, and negotiate with strategic partners across global regions

• Lead commercial structuring, pricing, onboarding, and long-term ecosystem optimisation

• Align partnership execution with sales, product, and operational teams to drive adoption and retention

• Own and maintain a global partner intelligence framework and performance metrics

What You’ll Bring

• Senior-level experience in partnerships, business development, or commercial strategy

• Strong commercial acumen with a track record of closing multi-party, cross-border partnership deals

• Experience in fintech, capital markets, platform-based businesses, or financial services

• Familiarity with regulatory dynamics across international jurisdictions

• Excellent stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills

• Experience with employee share plans or equity compensation (advantageous)

• Self-starter mindset with the ability to drive results in ambiguous and evolving environments

Nice to Have

• Background in product-led partnerships or go-to-market ecosystem design

• Exposure to HR tech, global payroll, or tax advisory networks

• Experience working with B2B SaaS platforms and/or financial compliance ecosystems

What’s On Offer

• Opportunity to define and build a global partner ecosystem around a fast-scaling fintech platform

• High ownership role with direct impact on revenue, growth, and market strategy

• Flexible hybrid working with global collaboration

• Join a forward-thinking team at the intersection of finance, equity, and digital innovation

Company Culture

The team is purpose-driven and ambitious, focused on reimagining how equity compensation is managed globally. They value sharp thinkers, structured executors, and resilient commercial leaders who bring discipline to long-cycle, high-value partnerships. You’ll join a lean, high-performance culture where clarity, ownership, and innovation are rewarded.

If you have not been contacted within 10 working days, please consider you application unsuccessful.