Financial Institutions (FIs) Partnership Lead

**About Tap** Tap Payments is revolutionising online payments across the MENA region by connecting businesses with simple, unified payment experiences. We need exceptional talent to help us on this journey. **The Financial Institutions Partnerships Team** Our partnerships with banks, acquirers, payment networks and other financial institutions are central to delivering reliable, scalable and innovative payment solutions. Join a team that builds trusted relationships, unlocks new opportunities and works cross\-functionally to strengthen Tap's payments ecosystem across MENA. **As a Tapster you will;** * Develop and execute partnership strategies with financial institutions, including banks, acquiring partners, payment networks and other strategic ecosystem participants. * Identify, evaluate and prioritise new partnership opportunities that support Tap's growth, market expansion and product roadmap. * Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across partner organisations, acting as the primary point of contact for strategic engagements. * Lead commercial discussions, negotiations and partnership agreements, working closely with legal, compliance, finance, product and operations teams. * Manage the full partnership lifecycle, from initial opportunity assessment and due diligence through onboarding, implementation, optimisation and ongoing governance. * Coordinate partner integrations and operational launches, ensuring clear ownership, timelines, deliverables and escalation paths. * Work with internal teams and financial institution partners to improve payment acceptance, settlement, reconciliation, dispute handling and overall service performance. * Monitor partner performance against agreed service levels, commercial terms and key performance indicators, identifying risks and opportunities for improvement. * Prepare business cases, partnership proposals, market analyses and executive\-level updates to support strategic decision\-making. * Represent Tap at relevant industry events, forums and meetings, building the company's profile and expanding its financial services network. * Stay informed about payment industry developments, regulatory requirements, market trends and emerging partnership models across MENA. * Act as the voice of partners internally, sharing feedback and insights to influence product development, operational improvements and customer experience. * Drive continuous improvement across partnership processes, documentation, reporting and governance frameworks. * Carry out other duties as assigned based on the demands of the business and growth of the role. **What you will bring to the party;** * 4\-5 years of experience in partnerships, business development, relationship management or a related role within Financial Services, Fintech or a high\-growth startup. * Proven experience managing strategic relationships with banks, acquirers, payment networks or other financial institutions. * Strong understanding of payment processing, acquiring, issuing, settlement, reconciliation, chargebacks and related payment flows. * Demonstrated experience leading commercial negotiations and managing complex partnership agreements. * Strong knowledge of the MENA financial services and payments landscape, with an understanding of relevant regulatory and market considerations. * Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build credibility and influence senior decision\-makers internally and externally. * Strong project management skills, including the ability to coordinate cross\-functional teams and deliver complex initiatives on time. * Commercially minded and analytical, with the ability to assess opportunities, understand performance data and make sound recommendations. * Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; Arabic is a plus. * Proactive, organised and comfortable working independently in a fast\-paced, evolving fintech environment. * Familiarity with workplace tools such as Slack, CRM platforms, reporting tools and project management systems. **Are you ready to shape the future of payments in MENA?**