Head of Business Development

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Syria.

📋 Description

• Lead the establishment of NymCard's presence in Syria as the inaugural commercial head in the market.

• Collaborate with the Central Bank, commercial lenders, telcos, and digital banking startups.

• Develop a pipeline from scratch and formulate the go-to-market strategy within a dynamic regulatory landscape.

• Manage the entire sales process, from prospecting and engaging with C-suite executives to negotiating contracts and closing deals.

• Strategically approach institutions and build a qualified pipeline throughout Syria's financial ecosystem.

• Forge executive relationships with key decision-makers across Syria's banking sector.

• Work alongside Compliance, Risk, and Legal teams to navigate complexities related to sanctions, correspondent banking limitations, and AML/CFT regulations.

• Represent NymCard at reconstruction, banking, and investment forums focused on Syria and the Levant.

• Provide organized market intelligence on regulatory changes, correspondent banking access, competitor actions, and client requirements.

• Report directly to NymCard's Chief Business Officer, ensuring complete pipeline visibility through CRM.

• Take ownership of proposals, commercial terms, and negotiations; coordinate MSAs, SLAs, risk distribution, and pricing schedules with Legal and Finance teams.

• Maintain precise CRM records, including stages, next steps, closing dates, probabilities, and risks.

• Monitor booked versus realized gross revenue and flag launch risks associated with correspondent banking, licensing, or infrastructure issues.

• Facilitate the transition to Solutions and Delivery, outlining scope, risks, and success metrics.

• Transform early successes into references and case studies to support broader expansion in the Levant.

⛳️ Requirements

• 10–15 years of experience in enterprise B2B sales or business development within payments, fintech, card schemes, or financial infrastructure.

• Established network within Syria's banking sector, the Syrian diaspora financial/business community, or the wider Levant banking landscape.

• Experience working in frontier and reconstruction markets; experience in complex, sanctions-related, or post-conflict markets is highly advantageous.

• Familiarity with correspondent banking, SWIFT reconnection processes, and AML/CFT frameworks pertinent to FATF grey-listed jurisdictions.

• Deep understanding of payments value chains, including card schemes, issuer processing, and core banking integrations.

• Proficiency in both Arabic and English is mandatory.

• Experience navigating lengthy, multi-stakeholder enterprise sales cycles amid regulatory ambiguity.

• Ability to operate as the first commercial hire in a streamlined, high-responsibility environment with direct executive engagement.

• Commercial expertise in pricing, contracts, and deal structuring, with good judgment on when to escalate compliance risks.

• Strong communicator with executive presence, remains composed under pressure, and demonstrates effective follow-through.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or a related discipline.

• An MBA is a plus.

🏝️ Benefits

• First-mover advantage: Create a market from nearly nothing, with direct access to decision-makers and complete organizational support.

• Play a pivotal role in Syria's financial reconstruction efforts, engaging directly with banks, regulators, and international partners.

• Gain direct exposure to executives.

• Enjoy comprehensive organizational support.

• Thrive in a high-ownership environment that allows for rapid progress.