Business Development Manager

Department: Business Development - SalesEmployment Type: Full TimeLocation: KSAReporting To: Turki MadhiDescriptionWe are seeking a Business Development Manager to drive growth in our BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) and FinTech initiatives. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in business development, particularly in the retail and loyalty program space. This role will involve managing a small, high-performing team, focusing on merchant acquisition, pipeline management, and partner negotiations.You will work closely with internal stakeholders, including product and technical teams, to identify opportunities and create solutions that meet both merchant and customer needs. The role requires a data-driven mindset with the ability to analyze business metrics and adjust strategies accordingly. The successful candidate will also possess a strong network in the BNPL, fintech, or payments ecosystem and be able to leverage this network for partnerships and deals.Key Responsibilities Sales & Partnerships:Lead the merchant acquisition strategy, identifying and securing new merchant partnerships.Manage a pipeline of prospective merchants and negotiate strategic partnerships to drive growth.Develop and execute partnership strategies to strengthen relationships with acquirers, merchants, and ecosystem partners.Drive B2B negotiations to secure long-term partnerships and close deals. Data-Driven Strategy:Monitor and analyze performance metrics, conversion funnels, and portfolio health to optimize strategies.Provide insights and reporting to senior leadership, including detailed forecasts and updates on progress.Drive decision-making based on data insights to improve merchant engagement and optimize partner outcomes. Technical Liaison:Collaborate with tech and product teams to ensure seamless API integrations, payment flows, and customer solutions.Ability to translate technical product capabilities into business solutions for merchants and partners (non-technical).Work alongside product and engineering teams to ensure product features meet merchant needs. Team Management & Stakeholder Engagement:Manage and mentor a small team of sales specialists and sales executives, providing guidance, support, and performance feedback.Build strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment on goals and execution.Deliver presentations and pitch to senior executives, representing the company’s value proposition effectively. Market Expertise & Knowledge:Stay up to date with regional market trends, regulatory changes, and the competitive landscape within the BNPL, fintech, and payments sectors.Apply insights into market conditions to inform business development strategies and go-to-market approaches.Skills, Knowledge & Expertise Experience: 2-3 years of proven experience in business development within BNPL, FinTech, or payments.Experience working with sales teams and managing small teams (2-3 people). Strong network in the merchant, acquirer, or payments ecosystem. Prior startup or scale-up experience in a high-growth fintech environment is highly preferred. Skills & Competencies: Excellent negotiation and deal-closing skills. Data-driven mindset, with the ability to interpret and act upon business metrics. Strong communication and presentation skills, particularly for C-level executives.Experience with merchant acquisition, pipeline management, and partnership development. Technical acumen to understand APIs, integrations, and payment flows, and liaise with technical teams (without the need to code).Experience in e-commerce, retail, or loyalty program partnerships is a plus.Knowledge of regional market dynamics, including regulations, competitive landscape, and market trends. Multi-language capability is a plus, depending on the target market.