Senior Business Development Manager — Middle East & Africa, Fintech

ABOUT YOU   We are looking for a Senior Business Development leader for Middle East & Africa to drive strategic partnerships and commercial growth across the two regions. This role will act as a regional owner for key external relationships, ensuring strong alignment between partners, internal stakeholders, and long-term business objectives.   The ideal candidate has deep experience in the Middle East and African payments and fintech ecosystem, understands complex cross-border commercial structures, and can confidently represent the company in senior-level discussions across multiple markets. While the role focuses on business development, it also requires a strong understanding of operational and financial implications behind partnership models.     ABOUT US   Xsolla is a global commerce company with robust tools and services to help developers solve the inherent challenges of the video game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games. Grounded in the belief in the future of video games, Xsolla is resolute in the mission to bring opportunities together, and continually make new resources available to creators. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, Xsolla operates as the merchant of record and has helped over 1,500+ game developers to reach more players and grow their businesses around the world. With more paths to profits and ways to win, developers have all the things needed to enjoy the game.   For more information, visit xsolla.com.  

Own and grow strategic partnerships across Middle East and Africa, including payment service providers, financial institutions, and other ecosystem partners.

Act as the primary regional point of contact for senior external stakeholders.

Identify new partnership opportunities that support sustainable growth and regional scalability.

Lead negotiations of commercial terms in alignment with global strategy and regional requirements.

Evaluate and continuously improve regional commercial arrangements to ensure competitiveness and long-term efficiency.

Work closely with internal teams (product, finance, risk, compliance, legal) to align partnership structures with business goals.

Contribute to regional pricing, routing, and partnership strategies based on performance and market conditions.

Monitor partner performance and drive improvements through data-driven insights and structured reviews.

Serve as a trusted regional advisor to global teams, providing market intelligence and recommendations.

Ensure a strong understanding of existing regional partnerships and operational setups.

Support internal decision-making with a clear view of local market practices and constraints.

Maintain a strong understanding of regional regulatory and operational frameworks affecting partnerships in Middle East and Africa

Support the design and evolution of compliant operating models across different countries, in collaboration with internal stakeholders.

Anticipate market changes and emerging trends that may impact commercial structures or partner strategies.

10+ years of experience in business development, partnerships, operations, or commercial roles within payments, fintech, or digital platforms.

Proven experience managing senior-level relationships across multiple Middle East and Africa markets.

Strong commercial negotiation skills with a track record of closing complex, multi-country agreements.

Solid understanding of cross-border business models, fund flows, and commercial structures.

Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.

Fluency in English and Arabic

Willingness to travel across Middle East and Africa as needed.

  Preferred Experience  

Experience working with regional or global platforms operating in Middle East and Africa

Familiarity with payment ecosystems across Middle East and Africa markets.

Exposure to complex partnership or operational models involving multiple jurisdictions.

Experience acting as a regional lead or informal manager across countries.