Role Description Kora's infrastructure only works if the right partners are connected to it. In the XAF and XOF corridors, that means banks, payment aggregators, wallet providers, and licensed financial institutions who can enable Kora scale. This role owns those relationships; sourcing them, structuring them, and building the ecosystem that makes Kora's business defensible. - Strategic partnership portfolio: You own the full portfolio of bank, aggregator, wallet, and institutional partnerships in the XAF/XOF region. Depth and quality over volume. Each partnership must materially enable Kora's corridor capability. - Corridor enablement: Every priority payment corridor needs a partner to make it work. You map the corridors, identify the critical partner type per corridor, and close the relationships that unlock them. - Licensing and regulatory partnerships: In markets where Kora is not yet licensed, partnerships with licensed entities are the route to market. You identify, structure, and manage these relationships in close coordination with Legal and Compliance. - Source and structure strategic partnerships: Personally identifying, approaching, and structuring partnership agreements with Banks, aggregators, and wallet providers. You understand the structure of a good partnership agreement and can negotiate one. - Sales & Business Development: Build, manage, and convert a strong pipeline of high-value merchants. Lead end-to-end sales cycle; prospecting, pitching, negotiating and closing deals. - Manage existing partners for depth, not just width: Partnerships fail when they're signed and forgotten. You maintain regular contact with all active partners, track what each partnership is delivering, ensuring every connection is performing to its full potential, and proactively addressing cases where outcomes are lagging. - Feed Kora's product and compliance teams: You are the primary signal for what francophone partners need from Kora's infrastructure. If a corridor requirement, compliance standard, or technical specification is blocking partnerships, you surface it with specifics. Qualifications - 3+ years in strategic partnerships, business development, or ecosystem building in fintech or financial services - Proven track record of sourcing, negotiating, and closing institutional partnerships - Experience in structuring complex agreements - Strong network across XAF/XOF markets (banks, mobile money operators, aggregators, regulators) - Clear understanding of how payment ecosystems operate in Francophone Africa - Fluency in French and English is highly preferred Requirements - Solid understanding of payment infrastructure (settlement rails, correspondent banking) - Knowledge of AML/KYC requirements and partnership due diligence processes - Familiarity with licensing regimes in the XAF/XOF markets and how partnerships enable market entry - Experience working on partnerships requiring regulatory approvals or sandbox participation - High ownership and ability to operate in ambiguous, zero-playbook environments - Structured communicator, able to clearly report partnership status, risks, and blockers - Commercially driven with a focus on measurable outcomes. Benefits - Health insurance - Sponsored and tailored training - Paid parental leave - Paid time-off - Flexible work style - Low-interest loans - Group Life Insurance - Access to up to four therapy sessions monthly - Day off on your birthday 🎂 🎁 🎉 - Employee interest groups that provide supportive communities within Kora - Great company culture and the opportunity to work with a highly collaborative team building something great!