Summary

Circle is seeking a highly motivated and accomplished Senior Director of Business Development to lead our expansion efforts across Africa. Based in Dubai, with extensive travel across the region, this role requires a strategic dealmaker with deep expertise in payments, fintech, and digital assets, who can identify, negotiate, and execute high-value, complex partnerships across public and private sectors.

You will play a pivotal role in shaping Circle’s footprint in Africa by leading business negotiations, structuring transformative deals, and developing go-to-market strategies that drive adoption of Circle’s payment solutions. The ideal candidate thrives in high-stakes environments, can navigate regulatory landscapes, and has a proven track record of closing large-scale deals with financial institutions, enterprises, and government entities.

We are looking for someone with a thorough understanding of the fintech and payments landscape in Africa, 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: 

1. Develop and execute Circle’s business development strategy across Africa, identifying high-impact opportunities to drive the adoption of our payment solutions.
2. Lead negotiations and deal structuring for strategic partnerships with banks, fintechs, mobile money providers, large enterprises, and government entities.
3. Manage complex, multi-stakeholder relationships with C-suite executives, regulators, and key decision-makers across sectors.
4. Drive regulatory engagement, working closely with policymakers and industry leaders to shape the evolving fintech and digital assets landscape in Africa.
5. Develop and validate commercial models for new business opportunities, conducting financial analysis and forecasting to support strategic decision-making.
6. Collaborate cross-functionally with product, compliance, and legal teams to tailor Circle’s offerings to the unique needs of emerging markets.
7. Build and lead go-to-market strategies that drive adoption of Circle’s products, ensuring successful execution of deals from initial discussions through implementation.
8. Track, report, and optimize business development efforts, leveraging CRM tools to monitor deal flow, pipeline progress, and key success metrics.

You will aspire to our four core values:

1. Multistakeholder - you have dedication and commitment to our customers, shareholders, employees and families and local communities.
2. Mindful - you seek to be respectful, an active listener and to pay attention to detail.  
3. 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. 
4. 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 Circle: 

1. 15+ years of business development experience, with a strong track record of leading complex, high-value deals in payments, fintech, or financial services across Africa.
2. Exceptional negotiation skills, with the ability to structure and close multi-million-dollar deals in highly competitive and regulated environments.
3. Deep understanding of Africa’s financial ecosystem, including mobile money, banking infrastructure, cross-border payments, and emerging fintech trends.
4. Experience engaging with regulators, central banks, and government entities to drive business growth while ensuring compliance with evolving regulations.
5. A strong network of industry relationships with leading financial institutions, fintechs, and enterprise partners across Africa.
6. Entrepreneurial mindset and ability to operate in a fast-paced, high-growth environment, balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
7. Passion for digital assets, blockchain technology, and the future of financial infrastructure.

Skills

• Business Development
• Leadership
• Negotiations Skills
• Strategic Thinking