Business Development Director, MEA

Circle is a financial technology company at the epicenter of the emerging internet of money, where value can finally travel like other digital data — globally, nearly instantly and less expensively than legacy settlement systems. This ground-breaking new internet layer opens up previously unimaginable possibilities for payments, commerce and markets that can help raise global economic prosperity and enhance inclusion. Our infrastructure – including USDC, a blockchain-based dollar – helps businesses, institutions and developers harness these breakthroughs and capitalize on this major turning point in the evolution of money and technology.

What You’ll Be Part Of

Circle is committed to visibility and stability in everything we do. As we grow as an organization, we're expanding into some of the world's strongest jurisdictions. Speed and efficiency are motivators for our success and our employees live by our company values: High Integrity, Future Forward, Multistakeholder, Mindful, and Driven by Excellence. We have built a flexible and diverse work environment where new ideas are encouraged and everyone is a stakeholder.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Circle is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Business Development Director to join our Middle East and Africa team. The role will be based in Dubai and requires extensive travel across Africa, the ideal candidate will have a proven track record of identifying, negotiating, closing and delivering complex deals in a highly competitive environment.

We are looking for someone with a thorough understanding of the fintech and payments landscape in Africa, have experience or strong interest in Digital Assets and be able to build and maintain meaningful relationships with key stakeholders across the public and private sector.

What You'll Work On

• Identify and evaluate potential business and partnership opportunities for Circle's payment products and services
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including government entities, financial institutions and other industries in the private sector
• Work closely with Circle's cross functional teams to tailor Circle's offerings to the needs of clients and partners in emerging markets
• Lead business negotiations and deal structuring with potential partners and prospects
• Financial modelling and forecasting projections on prospective business opportunities and partnerships
• Provide market intelligence and feedback to Circle's leadership team to inform product and business strategy
• Developing partnership strategies focused on driving adoption of Circle’s existing products and identifying opportunities to validate new solutions and use cases
• Working with product to validate market assumptions, build go-to market plans and ultimately secure strategic deals with leading ecosystem partners
• Reporting sales activity in our CRM systems whilst ensuring the maintenance of accurate records of all sales activities to ensure accurate reporting and tracking of client accounts.
  
  

What You’ll Bring To Circle

• 12+ years of experience in business development and sales in financial services, fintech, payments and/or digital assets. Strong understanding of the financial services and payment landscape, including regulatory frameworks, industry trends, and market dynamics.
• Fintech and cryptocurrency: good understanding of the regional fintech and cryptocurrency sector, including key players, products, and trends.
• Cross-cultural competence: Understanding of cultural differences and ability to work effectively across cultures and geographies in a remote environment.
• Proven track record of building strong relationships with key stakeholders, and negotiating successful business deals and strategic partnerships
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent communicator, strong written communication skills and ability to negotiate and close complex deals effectively
• Experience with financial modeling and developing projections on potential partnership opportunities
• Ability to develop and execute a strategic business development plan.
• Ability to create and deliver presentations tailored to the audience needs and varying levels.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including product, marketing, compliance and legal teams to ensure successful execution of business development initiatives
• Business level of English. French and Arabic are a plus
  
  

Circle is on a mission to create an inclusive financial future, with transparency at our core. We consider a wide variety of elements when crafting our compensation ranges and total compensation packages.

Starting pay is determined by various factors, including but not limited to: relevant experience, skill set, qualifications, and other business and organizational needs. Please note that compensation ranges may differ for candidates in other locations.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at Circle. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Additionally, Circle participates in the E-Verify Program in certain locations, as required by law.

Should you require accommodations or assistance in our interview process because of a disability, please reach out to [email protected] for support. We respect your privacy and will connect with you separately from our interview process to accommodate your needs.