Business Development Specialist - Clearing and Settlement

Job Title: Business Development Specialist - Clearing and Settlement

Term: 12 months

Location: Kuwait

Division: Digital Payments

Reports to: TBC

PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT

The Business Development Specialist will support the growth and expansion of clearing and settlement capabilities across card and payment solutions. The role will focus on identifying business opportunities, supporting the rollout of new payment solutions, and strengthening relationships with financial institutions, payment networks, and strategic partners.

The specialist will leverage knowledge of payment processing, scheme operations, and settlement frameworks to help position clearing and settlement solutions that deliver operational efficiency and commercial value. Collaborating closely with internal stakeholders and external partners, the role will contribute to solution development, market expansion, and the successful commercialization of payment services in a dynamic, matrix-driven environment.

Core Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

Strategic Business Development

• Evaluate all business development aspects related to commercial card growth, including target market segmentation, product and process alignment, product features and construct, internal regulatory requirements, and (optionally) credit policy/underwriting processes. Define and assess the commercial card value proposition by analyzing market opportunities, segmenting client needs, and ensuring offerings maintain a long-term competitive position. Identify and pursue new sales opportunities across Corporate and SME verticals to drive commercial program sales volumes. Support tenders and optimize existing card programs for Corporate and Purchasing card portfolios.

Project Implementation & Support

• Develop and deliver guidelines for the launch, roll-out, and implementation of commercial card solutions with issuer in Oman Scope and recommend required business process flows to support the programs successful deployment. Work closely with internal and external client partners to drive successful project outcomes.

Acquisition & Penetration

• Leverage available distribution networks to maximize acquisition results, ensuring high EMOB ratio. Drive quality account acquisition within both the banked and non-banked customer base, focusing on penetration in existing business and commercial banking segments. Develop and execute segmentation and distribution strategies tailored to industry verticals and diverse customer requirements.

Program Optimization & Growth

• Drive greater spend growth across the clients existing corporate card facilities. Support the refresh and optimization of card offerings to meet evolving customer needs and attract new business. Increase card activation rates, expand card usage into new spend categories, and improve key performance indicators such as spend per card, average transaction value, and POS vs. ATM usage.

Customer Lifecycle Management

• Oversee the end-to-end fulfilment process, including onboarding, card personalization, distribution, and activation. Implement strategies to foster strong, profitable customer relationships and minimize attrition.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Proven experience in commercial payments or related B2B industries, with a strong understanding of corporate card solutions, payment workflows, and business client needs.
• Experience supporting the launch, growth, or optimization of commercial card programs or similar payment solutions.
• Demonstrated success in solution-based selling and engaging with senior and executive-level stakeholders.
• The ability to articulate complex payment solutions, align offerings with client business objectives, and drive commercial outcomes through consultative sales approaches.
• Strong analytical capabilities with the ability to assess market opportunities, segment customer bases, evaluate competitive landscapes, and identify growth opportunities.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills within a matrix environment.
• Proven experience coordinating cross-functional teams to support product launches, drive adoption, and contribute to operational improvements and business process optimization initiatives.

Mandatory Skills:

• Bachelors degree in Finance, Business, Technology, or a related field (Master's preferred).
• Previous experience within Banking, Digital Payment & Card solutions, or the FinTech industry.
• Regional experience across the GCC, including working in a faced-paced matrix organisation.
• Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, and presentation) in English; fluency in Arabic preferred.

Preferred Skills:

• The ability to analyse data, troubleshoot payment issues, optimize processes, and make data-driven decisions.
• Good understanding of payment systems, digital platforms, system workflows, security basics, and industry technologies.
• An understanding of regional regulations across financial services or payment networks.