Head of Network - MENA

Context of the Role
The primary responsibility of this role is to develop and execute sustainable network partnerships with key participants in the payments and financial services ecosystem. The ideal candidate is self-motivated, highly energetic, and possesses strong business acumen.

Key focus areas include building and scaling partnerships with large, strategic financial partners such as banks, cash networks, wallet providers, acquirers, payment facilitators, card issuers, and processors. By leveraging partnerships and industry relationships, this role will drive innovation, support Thunes' go-to-market efforts, and establish thought leadership within the financial ecosystem. Additionally, the candidate will be instrumental in developing a robust pay-out and pay-in network in the MENA region, contributing to the growth and expansion of Thunes' global network.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and manage critical banking and network partnerships, driving joint initiatives and launching innovative offerings that benefit Thunes' users.
• Craft strategic partnerships and product strategies with banks and networks by leveraging industry expertise and collaborating with internal stakeholders, including risk, product, engineering, compliance, legal, and treasury teams.
• Lead deal execution in collaboration with the Business Development team and financial institutions, ensuring clear execution plans are in place.
• Gather inputs and coordinate with internal teams to create and execute effective partner strategies.
• Provide industry insights to internal teams and develop a holistic network strategy to advance relationships with financial institutions.
• Engage with Central Banks to streamline approval processes and oversee the rollout of new services to targeted partners and customers.

Professional Experiences and Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in partnerships with financial institutions and cross-border payments companies in the region.
• Proven ability to negotiate and secure impactful partnerships, with a focus on delivering value and differentiation.
• Extensive experience leading complex, first-in-kind deals with top financial institutions and interfacing with C-level executives.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple stakeholders, including compliance, legal, solutions delivery, treasury, and finance teams.
• Strong operational focus, with a track record of driving deals to successful execution by using metrics, planning, and organizational structures.
• Exceptional decision-making skills with the ability to prioritize and navigate complex challenges.
• Fluency in English is required; fluency in Arabic is highly desirable.

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, São Paulo and Shanghai.

For more information, visit: https://www.thunes.com/