SME Digital Payments & Partnerships Manager

About NeoStats Analytics:

NeoStats is a new-age, Data & Analytics firm offering contemporary solutions and infinite possibilities. Our mission is to create lasting competitive advantage for our clients by transforming them into world-class, data-driven organizations. Established in 2022 to provide End to End Data & Analytics Services, we are headquartered out of UAE, with bases in India & UK. Comprising of industry veterans, we enable structural transformations in Analytics powered by our expertise, true partnership, and e2e implementation approach.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced SME Digital Payments & Partnerships Manager to support the development, launch, and commercialization of innovative digital payment solutions for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The role will primarily focus on expense management solutions, virtual card issuance, and card controls, with additional exposure to Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), embedded finance, Pay by Link, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), and multicurrency payment solutions.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience in SME banking, fintech partnerships, digital payments, and commercial solution implementation within the Saudi Arabian market.

This is a hands-on role combining partnership development, pre-sales, commercial coordination, solution implementation, and post-launch relationship management.

Key Responsibilities

1. Product Proposition Development & Pre-Sales

• Engage with SME customers and business partners to understand their payment, expense management, and financial service requirements.
• Develop tailored digital payment propositions focused on expense management, virtual cards, and card controls.
• Prepare business cases, financial assessments, commercial proposals, presentations, and pricing models.
• Support pre-sales discussions, solution positioning, and commercial negotiations.
• Identify opportunities for embedded finance, BaaS, Pay by Link, BNPL, and multicurrency payment solutions.

2. Strategic Partnerships & Commercial Development

• Identify, develop, and manage strategic partnerships with banks, payment processors, fintech companies, and SME ecosystem partners.
• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of partnership and commercial opportunities.
• Evaluate potential partners based on commercial viability, operating models, technology integration, and business requirements.
• Coordinate partner due diligence, commercial negotiations, contracting, and internal approvals.
• Maintain partnership trackers, commercial documentation, and progress reports.

3. Digital Payments Implementation & Product Launch

• Translate approved business propositions into functional requirements, implementation plans, and operational processes.
• Coordinate with payment processors, fintech partners, and internal Product, Technology, Operations, Risk, Compliance, Finance, and Legal teams.
• Support solution configuration, testing, integration, and production launch activities.
• Monitor project milestones, dependencies, risks, and implementation progress.
• Identify and resolve delivery challenges to ensure successful product launches.
• Evaluate alternative processor-led implementation models where bank-led solutions are not feasible, while ensuring regulatory and governance alignment.

4. Partner Onboarding & Relationship Management

• Manage partner and customer onboarding activities.
• Support post-launch stabilization, service governance, and issue resolution.
• Monitor product adoption, transaction usage, partner performance, and customer feedback.
• Identify opportunities to improve customer engagement and partnership performance.
• Maintain strong relationships with fintech partners, payment providers, and internal stakeholders.

5. Regulatory Compliance & Governance

• Ensure digital payment initiatives align with applicable Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) requirements.
• Support regulatory assessments and approval processes where required.
• Coordinate with Risk, Compliance, Legal, and Technology teams to ensure appropriate governance.
• Maintain implementation documentation, approval records, and operational processes.

Required Skills & Experience

• 5–8 years of relevant experience in SME/business banking, digital payments, fintech partnerships, Banking-as-a-Service, card issuing/processing, or commercial cards.
• Hands-on experience with expense management solutions, virtual card issuance, and card controls.
• Strong understanding of SME banking products, digital payment ecosystems, and fintech business models.
• Working knowledge of BaaS and embedded finance, including issuer, processor, and fintech operating models.
• Experience in product proposition development, pre-sales, business-case preparation, and commercial coordination.
• Proven experience supporting digital payment solutions from initial requirements through implementation and launch.
• Strong understanding of customer onboarding, technology integrations, payment processing, and servicing models.
• Excellent stakeholder management, partnership development, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple commercial and implementation initiatives simultaneously.
• Professional proficiency in both Arabic and English is mandatory.
• Strong knowledge of the Saudi SME banking, fintech, and digital payments ecosystem.
• Ability to work onsite in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Preferred Qualifications

• Saudi nationals preferred.
• Experience working with Saudi banks, fintech companies, payment processors, or card issuers.
• Familiarity with SAMA regulations, approval/NOC processes, and regulatory dependencies.
• Exposure to Pay by Link, BNPL, multicurrency solutions, and embedded finance.
• Experience managing fintech partnerships and digital payment product launches.

Key Success Outcomes

• Convert qualified partnership opportunities into approved business cases and executable implementation plans.
• Successfully coordinate partner due diligence, contracting, implementation, and product launches.
• Ensure timely achievement of implementation milestones and launch-readiness requirements.
• Drive successful partner onboarding, product adoption, and post-launch performance.
• Maintain strong partner relationships and effective service governance.

What we offer:

• Competitive Salary and Benefits
• Opportunity to be part of a fast-paced and growing startup. Grow your career with the company.
• Ownership – You will own your initiative and be given specific responsibilities.
• Continuous coaching & mentoring – You will have the opportunity to interact and work closely with other senior data scientists and AI experts across the globe.
• Dynamic and respectful work environment – we truly value you.