Small Medium Enterprise Digital Payment & Partnership Manager

Engagement Details: Job Title: SME (Small Medium Enterprise) Digital Payments & Partnership Manager Client: Leading Payment Network (Confidential) Employment Type: 12-Month Contract Location: Onsite, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Experience Level: 5-8 Years Reporting To: Head of Partnerships Language Requirements: Professional Arabic & English About the Organization: Our client is a leading global payment network driving innovation across digital payments, commercial cards, embedded finance, and SME banking solutions. The organization works closely with banks, fintechs, processors, and ecosystem partners to develop scalable payment products that improve business efficiency, financial inclusion, and digital transformation across the region. Role Summary The SME Digital Payments & Partnerships Manager will play a key role in supporting the launch, commercialization, and growth of digital payment solutions tailored for SME customers. The primary focus will be on expense management solutions, virtual card issuance, and card controls, while also contributing to embedded finance, Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), Pay by Link, BNPL, and multicurrency payment initiatives. This is a highly cross-functional role that combines partnership development, proposition design, pre-sales support, solution execution, and post-launch relationship management. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with banks, fintechs, processors, and internal stakeholders to transform partnership opportunities into viable business cases, implementation plans, and successful market launches. Key Responsibilities: Proposition Development & Pre-Sales • Engage SME customers and ecosystem partners to understand payment, banking, and expense management requirements. • Translate business needs into commercially viable digital payment propositions. • Develop business cases, commercial models, financial assessments, presentations, and proposals. • Support sales and solution discussions focused on expense management, virtual cards, and spend controls. • Identify and evaluate opportunities across BaaS, embedded finance, Pay by Link, BNPL, and multicurrency solutions. Partnerships & Commercial Development • Build and manage a pipeline of banks, processors, fintechs, payment providers, and SME ecosystem partners. • Evaluate partner capabilities, operating models, commercial viability, and integration requirements. • Lead partnership assessments, due diligence activities, commercial discussions, and contracting processes. • Coordinate internal approvals and governance requirements. • Maintain accurate reporting on opportunities, dependencies, risks, and strategic decisions. Solution Execution & Launch • Convert approved opportunities into detailed business requirements and implementation roadmaps. • Coordinate product, technology, operations, risk, compliance, finance, legal, fintech, and processor stakeholders. • Drive solution configuration, testing, launch readiness, and go-live execution. • Manage project milestones, risks, issues, dependencies, and escalation processes. • Support alternative processor-led delivery models where regulatory or operational constraints limit bank-led implementation. Partner & Customer Relationship Management • Support onboarding, implementation stabilization, and service governance activities. • Monitor solution adoption, business performance, customer feedback, and partner success metrics. • Coordinate issue resolution and continuous service improvements. • Build and maintain strong relationships with external partners and internal stakeholders throughout the solution lifecycle. Ecosystem & Regulatory Coordination • Leverage knowledge of the Saudi banking, fintech, and SME ecosystem to identify market opportunities. • Support initiatives requiring interaction with regulators, processors, and ecosystem participants. • Assist in navigating SAMA approval processes and regulatory dependencies where applicable. • Ensure all partnership and solution activities align with internal governance and compliance requirements. Qualifications & Experience: • Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Banking, Technology, or a related discipline. • 5-8 years of experience in SME banking, digital payments, fintech partnerships, Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), card issuing/processing, or commercial cards. • Strong practical experience in expense management solutions, virtual card issuance, and spend controls. • Experience working across banks, fintechs, processors, or payment ecosystems. • Proven track record of taking solutions from discovery and pre-sales through implementation and launch. • Strong stakeholder management, commercial coordination, documentation, and execution capabilities. • Knowledge of Saudi Arabia's banking and fintech landscape. • Experience with SAMA regulatory processes is advantageous. • Saudi nationals are preferred. Key Success Indicators (KPIs): • Conversion of partnership opportunities into approved business cases. • Successful progression of partners through due diligence, contracting, implementation, and launch. • Achievement of project milestones and launch-readiness objectives. • Growth in partner adoption, transaction volumes, and customer engagement. • Strong partner and stakeholder satisfaction. • Effective management of implementation risks and dependencies. • Successful commercialization of SME digital payment solutions. Why Join? This role offers the opportunity to work at the forefront of digital payments innovation and help shape the future of SME banking solutions in Saudi Arabia. The successful candidate will gain exposure to payment networks, fintech partnerships, embedded finance, commercial cards, and next-generation digital payment capabilities while working with leading banks, processors, and fintech ecosystem participants across the region. Show more Show less

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Banking, Technology, or a related discipline. 5-8 years of experience in SME banking, digital payments, fintech partnerships, Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), card issuing/processing, or commercial cards. Strong practical experience in expense management solutions, virtual card issuance, and spend controls. Experience working across banks, fintechs, processors, or payment ecosystems. Proven track record of taking solutions from discovery and pre-sales through implementation and launch. Strong stakeholder management, commercial coordination, documentation, and execution capabilities. Knowledge of Saudi Arabia's banking and fintech landscape. Experience with SAMA regulatory processes is advantageous. Saudi nationals are preferred.

Proposition Development & Pre-Sales: Engage SME customers and ecosystem partners to understand payment, banking, and expense management requirements. Translate business needs into commercially viable digital payment propositions. Develop business cases, commercial models, financial assessments, presentations, and proposals. Support sales and solution discussions focused on expense management, virtual cards, and spend controls. Identify and evaluate opportunities across BaaS, embedded finance, Pay by Link, BNPL, and multicurrency solutions. Partnerships & Commercial Development: Build and manage a pipeline of banks, processors, fintechs, payment providers, and SME ecosystem partners. Evaluate partner capabilities, operating models, commercial viability, and integration requirements. Lead partnership assessments, due diligence activities, commercial discussions, and contracting processes. Coordinate internal approvals and governance requirements. Maintain accurate reporting on opportunities, dependencies, risks, and strategic decisions. Solution Execution & Launch: Convert approved opportunities into detailed business requirements and implementation roadmaps. Coordinate product, technology, operations, risk, compliance, finance, legal, fintech, and processor stakeholders. Drive solution configuration, testing, launch readiness, and go-live execution. Manage project milestones, risks, issues, dependencies, and escalation processes. Support alternative processor-led delivery models where regulatory or operational constraints limit bank-led implementation. Partner & Customer Relationship Management: Support onboarding, implementation stabilization, and service governance activities. Monitor solution adoption, business performance, customer feedback, and partner success metrics. Coordinate issue resolution and continuous service improvements. Build and maintain strong relationships with external partners and internal stakeholders throughout the solution lifecycle. Ecosystem & Regulatory Coordination: Leverage knowledge of the Saudi banking, fintech, and SME ecosystem to identify market opportunities. Support initiatives requiring interaction with regulators, processors, and ecosystem participants. Assist in navigating SAMA approval processes and regulatory dependencies where applicable. Ensure all partnership and solution activities align with internal governance and compliance requirements.