Network Development Manager - MENA

About Thunes

Thunes is the Smart Superhighway for money movement around the world. Thunes’ proprietary Direct Global Network allows Members to make payments in real-time in over 130 countries and more than 80 currencies.

Thunes’ Network connects directly to over 7 billion mobile wallets and bank accounts worldwide, via more than 350 different payment methods, such as GCash, M-Pesa, Airtel, MTN, Orange, JazzCash, Easypaisa, AliPay, WeChat Pay and many more.Members of Thunes’ Direct Global Network include gig economy giants like Uber and Deliveroo, super-apps like Grab and WeChat, MTOs, fintechs, PSPs and banks.

Thunes’ Direct Global Network differentiates itself through its worldwide reach, in-house Smart Treasury Management Platform and Fortress Compliance Infrastructure, ensuring Members of the Network receive unrivalled speed, control, visibility, protection and cost efficiencies when making real-time payments globally. Headquartered in Singapore, Thunes has offices in 12 locations, including Barcelona, Beijing, Dubai, London, Manila, Nairobi, Paris, Riyadh, San Francisco, Sao Paulo and Shanghai. For more information, visit: https://www.thunes.com/

Context of the role

The Network Development Manager will be based in Riyadh and will report to the MENA VP, Network Development. The primary responsibility of this role is to develop and execute sustainable network partners with various participants of the payments and financial services ecosystem as well as manage our existing accounts commercially driving more revenue through cross and up sell opportunities.

The ideal candidate will be an inadividual who is self-motivated, possesses high energy and has a strong business acumen. The incumbent will be focused on building and scaling partnerships with large, strategic financial partners including banks, cash networks, wallet providers, acquirers, payment facilitators, card issuers and processors. Leveraging their partnerships and industry relationships, this person will advocate for innovation and support Thunes go to market efforts as well as strive to be a thought leader in the financial ecosystem. They will be developing a well-functioning pay-out and collection network in the region to support the growth and development of our global network.

Key Responsibilities

• Manages and develops critical banking and network partnerships, with a focus on driving and executing joint initiatives and helping launch and manage new offerings benefiting Thunes’ users
• Leverage industry knowledge to craft thoughtful partnerships and product strategies with banks and networks, partnering with business development and various stakeholders (including risk, product, engineering, compliance, legal, and treasury)
• Continually drive revenue within accounts through cross and up sell opportunities
• Steers, in conjunction with Business Development team, banks and to execute deal supporting that strategy and help ensure that there is a proper execution plan in place
• Gather inputs from and co-ordinates with internal stakeholders (including risk, compliance, product, engineering, treasury) on creation and execution of partner strategy
• Acts as trusted partner ensuring account retention, contractual health, well-being, and maximum satisfaction of clients
• Leverages significant industry experience to Thunes internal teams; composes holistic network strategy and advances that strategy with FI's
• Ensures all specific reports and records are completed within timeframe, including utilisation of CRM tool with precision, sharing timely feedback to line manager about performance, sales activity, account management status and strategy planned
• Initiate and maintain strong working relationships with colleagues and customers to ease communication channels and facilitate resolutions for issues, ensuring satisfaction amongst existing accounts resulting in positive account retention.
  
  
  

Professional Experience/Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Has at least 5+ years of network partnerships and business development experience working with financial institutions and payments companies across the region
• Track record of top commercial performance in a Payments business with proven ability to grow revenue share
• Excellent negotiation skills with the tenacity to drive commercial value in upsell and cross sell scenarios
• Should be able to manage multiple stakeholders, including compliance, legal, solutions delivery, treasury and finance
• Strong negotiator and ambitious on what Thunes should try to do with their network partners and how Thunes creates value and differentiation
• Has broad and complex first-in-kind deals experience with top financial institutions interfacing with C-Level executives
• Operationally focused, with an ability to see a deal through to success, far beyond signing, leading teams through execution by using planning, metrics, and organizational structures
• Strong decision maker, able to prioritize and guide teams through competing demands and complex problems
• Proficiency in English and Arabic.
  
  
  

Sound like you? Apply Today!