Partnership Manager

**Who is Ezra?**

Ezra provides B2B digital lending solutions for emerging markets in partnership with mobile and digital wallet operators and financial service providers. Ezra supports 24 operations in 23 countries, across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Our key office locations are in Nairobi, Kenya and Dubai, UAE.

Our flagship products are Advance Credit Service (ACS), Nano and BNPL.
- ACS is an airtime or data advance offered to prepaid mobile subscribers at the point of low credit.
- Nano is a micro cash advance offered to mobile wallet users on demand.
- BNPL facilitates payment instalments for products and services

As a FinTech company, our business is entirely technology and data driven, from determining subscriber eligibility, generating relevant offers, managing risk, loan issuance, recovery, optimizing performance and reporting, reconciliation and billing.

Each day we process approximately 21M loan requests and 1.4 TB of data across our markets. This process needs to be robust, reliable, and secure.

But it doesn't end there. We're exploring new ways of using our platform and transactional data to improve our products and develop new product opportunities.

**About the role**

The Partnership Manager at Ezra is responsible for establishing, nurturing, and managing strategic partnerships and alliances that contribute to the growth and success of the company. This role involves identifying potential partners, developing collaborative strategies, and building strong relationships to drive mutual business objectives. The Partnership Manager serves as a bridge between the company and its partners, working to create value-added opportunities and ensure a seamless partnership experience.

**Responsibilities**:

- Partnership Development:

- Identify and research potential partnership opportunities that align with the company's strategic goals.
- Evaluate potential partners' compatibility, market presence, and potential for mutual benefit.
- Develop a tiered Partner Program.
- Establishing an eco system of different (persona) partners
- Relationship Building:

- Initiate and establish relationships with key decision-makers within partner organizations.
- Cultivate strong relationships to foster collaboration, trust, and effective communication.
- Act as the primary point of contact for partners, addressing inquiries and providing support.
- Collaborative Strategy:

- Develop and execute joint business plans that outline goals, metrics, and timelines for partnership success.
- Identify cross-promotional opportunities and co-marketing activities to enhance both brands' visibility.
- Bridge function between the direct Sales Department and Partner Network.
- Negotiation and Agreement:

- Negotiate partnership agreements, contracts, and terms to ensure a mutually beneficial and fair arrangement.
- Work with legal teams to review and finalize contracts while addressing potential legal and compliance issues.
- Performance Tracking:

- Monitor and track partnership performance against established goals and KPIs.
- Regularly analyze data to measure the impact of partnerships on the company's business objectives.
- Identify areas for improvement and implement necessary adjustments to optimize partnership outcomes.
- Communication and Coordination:

- Facilitate effective communication between internal departments and partner teams.
- Coordinate cross-functional efforts to ensure seamless execution of partnership initiatives.
- Provide partners with updates on product developments, company news, and industry trends.

**Qualifications**:

- Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or a related field; MBA or relevant advanced degree is a plus.
- Proven experience in partnership management, business development, or a related role.
- Strong understanding of the industry, market dynamics, and trends.
- Excellent negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret data and draw actionable insights.
- Ability to think strategically and creatively to identify partnership opportunities.
- Project management skills to coordinate complex partnership initiatives.
- Proficiency in using collaboration tools and software.
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.