Associate Director - Banking Partnerships

Associate Director - Banking Partnerships Location: Mumbai Experience: 8 - 10 years Notice Period: Candidates with up to 2 months' notice preferred The company is building solutions that enable brands and financial institutions to create better customer engagement through rewards, benefits, and loyalty programs. We are looking for an experienced Business Development professional to build and grow partnerships with banks and financial institutions and drive expansion across the banking ecosystem. The Role: As a Business Development - Banking Partnerships, you will be responsible for identifying, developing, and closing partnerships with banks, with a focus on reward programs across credit cards, debit cards, liability products, and other banking propositions. You will work closely with senior stakeholders across banks and financial institutions to understand their requirements and position solutions accordingly. Key Responsibilities: - Drive business development and strategic partnerships with leading banks and financial institutions. - Build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders across Cards, Rewards, Loyalty, Partnerships, Product, and Marketing teams. - Identify opportunities to power reward and loyalty programs across credit cards, debit cards, liability products, and other banking products. - Own the end-to-end business development cycle, from prospecting and relationship building to negotiation, closure, and partnership execution. - Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of banking opportunities. - Understand customer requirements and collaborate with internal product and technology teams to create relevant solutions. - Lead commercial discussions and negotiations with banking partners. - Build long-term strategic relationships with key decision-makers across the banking ecosystem. - Track market trends and developments across banking, cards, rewards, loyalty, and customer engagement. Ideal Candidate Profile: - 8 - 10 years of experience in Business Development, Partnerships, Strategic Alliances, Enterprise Sales, or a related role. - Strong experience working with banks and financial institutions, preferably within the cards, rewards, loyalty, or partnerships ecosystem. - Candidates from organizations such as Thriwe, R360, Vouchagram, DreamFolks, Visa, Mastercard, RuPay, or similar companies would be preferred. - Candidates from leading banks with experience working across multiple banks in Cards / Credit Cards / Rewards / Partnerships will also be considered. - Strong existing network and relationships with senior banking stakeholders. - Proven track record of closing complex B2B / enterprise partnerships. - Strong communication, negotiation, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills. - Commercially driven with the ability to identify opportunities and convert them into business. - Ability to work independently in a fast-paced startup environment. What You'll Own: You will be a key point of contact between the company and the banking ecosystem, responsible for opening new relationships, developing strategic partnerships, and driving revenue opportunities across bank reward and loyalty programs. If you have deep relationships across banks and a strong understanding of the Cards & Rewards ecosystem, we'd love to hear from you.