Summary

Circle is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Business Development Director to join our Middle East and Africa team. The role will be based in Dubai and the ideal candidate will have a proven track record of identifying, negotiating, closing and delivering complex deals in a highly competitive environment. 

We are looking for someone with a thorough understanding of the financial services landscape, have experience or strong interest in Digital Assets and be able to build and maintain meaningful relationships with key stakeholders across the public and private sector.

What you'll work on:

• Identify and evaluate potential business and partnership opportunities for Circle's products and services.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including government entities, financial institutions and other industry participants in the private sector.
• Work closely with Circle's product and marketing teams to tailor Circle's offerings to the needs of clients and partners in emerging markets.
• Lead negotiations and deal structuring with potential partners and prospects.
• Financial modeling and forecasting projections on prospective business opportunities and partnerships.
• Provide market intelligence and feedback to Circle's leadership team to inform product and business strategy.
• Developing partnership strategies focused on driving adoption of Circles existing products and identifying opportunities to validate beta products.
• Working with product to validate market assumptions, build go-to market plans and ultimately strike deals with leading ecosystem businesses.
• Reporting sales activity in our CRM systems whilst ensuring the maintenance of accurate records of all sales activities to ensure accurate reporting and tracking of client accounts. 

You will aspire to our four core values:

• Multistakeholder - you have dedication and commitment to our customers, shareholders, employees and families and local communities.
• Mindful - you seek to be respectful, an active listener and to pay attention to detail.  
• Driven by Excellence - you are driven by our mission and our passion for customer success which means you relentlessly pursue excellence, that you do not tolerate mediocrity and you work intensely to achieve your goals.
• High Integrity - you seek open and honest communication, and you hold yourself to very high moral and ethical standards. You reject manipulation, dishonesty and intolerance.

What you'll bring to this role:

Experience

• 15+ years of experience in business development and sales in financial services and/or digital assets. Strong understanding of the financial services landscape, including regulatory frameworks, industry trends, and market dynamics. 
• Fintech and cryptocurrency: good understanding of the regional fintech and cryptocurrency sector, including key players, products, and trends.
• Cross-cultural competence: Understanding of cultural differences and ability to work effectively across cultures and geographies.
• Proven track record of building strong relationships with key stakeholders, and negotiating successful business deals and strategic partnerships.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Business Level of English. Arabic is a plus.

Skills

• Excellent communicator, strong written communication skills and ability to negotiate and close complex deals effectively.
• Self-driven, Comfortable with independent work and project management.
• Experience with financial modeling and developing projections on potential partnership opportunities.
• Strategic thinking: Ability to develop and execute a strategic business development plan.
• Ability to create and deliver presentations tailored to the audience needs and varying levels.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including product, marketing, compliance and legal teams to ensure successful execution of business development initiatives.

Skills

• Business Development
• Communications Skills
• Financial Modeling
• Negotiations Skills
• Strategic Thinking