Partnerships Associate - Founder's Office

Role Overview

This is a full-time onsite Partnerships Associate role based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, with possible relocation to Dubai or Abu Dhabi if the business pipeline justifies it. The position sits inside the Founder’s Office and is intended for someone who can independently drive enterprise partnerships across BFSI and related markets.

The company is AI-native and is expanding its existing Middle East network into a broader regional business while also strengthening core relationships with banks, financial companies, and downstream DSA networks. This is a commercial, relationship-led role focused on outcomes, not a passive account-management position.

Compensation is INR 50,000 to 75,000 per month, plus uncapped, deal-linked incentives. The expected start is immediate.

Core Partnership Work

The main part of the role involves building and managing partnerships with banks and financial companies, including mapping senior stakeholders, getting past internal gatekeepers, managing empanelment, and handling the full relationship lifecycle. You will be expected to work directly with decision-makers such as CXOs, Heads of Retail Lending, and innovation leaders, and to progress opportunities through vendor onboarding, RFE submissions, reviews, negotiations, contracting, and handoff to delivery.

You will also be responsible for shaping and selling AI and technology-led solutions that address practical BFSI problems, including underwriting, credit scoring, fraud detection, GenAI support for relationship managers and collections teams, LOS/LMS modernization, and Account Aggregator-enabled workflows.

A further part of the job is managing DSA network partnerships tied to institutional relationships, including choosing the right commercial model and distinguishing between direct institutional sales and channel-enablement work.

Middle East and GCC Expansion

A significant share of the role will focus on existing Middle East relationships and expansion into the UAE and wider GCC. You will help develop a structured expansion plan, understand the difference between banking and fintech hubs such as DIFC and ADGM, and travel to the UAE for meetings when needed. There is also openness to the role becoming UAE-based if the pipeline supports that move.

You should be comfortable working around the region’s operating calendar, including the Sunday-to-Thursday work week, Ramadan’s reduced hours, and Eid-related shutdown periods. The role also calls for credible familiarity with Open Finance in the UAE and Open Banking in Saudi Arabia.

Commercials, Materials, and Market Development

You will help structure enterprise deal commercials, including pricing, incentive-linked arrangements, and the distinction between services SOWs and platform licensing models. You should be able to draft sharp pitch materials independently, with enough clarity for a designer or AI tool to refine quickly.

Beyond direct deal work, the role includes supporting marketing with BFSI case studies and win stories, representing the company at industry events such as FIBAC and Global Fintech Fest, and feeding customer feedback, objections, and deal-loss reasons back into product and marketing.

The position also involves spotting underpenetrated opportunities such as MSME lenders, co-lending-focused FCs, and insurance-adjacent lenders, then building the commercial case to pursue them. You will be expected to use AI-native research and productivity tools in daily work and to document every deal clearly so the team can learn from your process.

Tools and Domain Knowledge

You are expected to already be comfortable using modern CRM and sales tools, including HubSpot, Zoho, Salesforce, or LeadSquared, along with LinkedIn Sales Navigator, document-signing tools, presentation software, and AI tools for research and iteration. Familiarity with RBI Digital Lending Directions, co-lending and LSP frameworks, the Account Aggregator ecosystem, and empanelment/RFE processes is important for the role.

For Middle East work, the role expects working knowledge of the UAE and Saudi financial landscape, including DIFC, ADGM, UAE Open Finance regulations, and Saudi Open Banking basics. Analytical tracking through tools such as Excel or Looker Studio is also part of the workflow.

Candidate Profile

This role is intended for someone who has already owned real partnerships or enterprise business development relationships for at least 2 years, ideally in BFSI, fintech, or enterprise B2B SaaS. The expectation is that you can speak in measurable terms about deals closed, partnerships signed, and pipeline created.

You should be strong in verbal communication, able to engage confidently with senior banking leaders, and comfortable with tough conversations on pricing, compliance, and decision-making authority. The ideal candidate already understands the bank, NBFC, and DSA ecosystem, uses AI tools as part of everyday work, and is willing to travel frequently to the UAE and potentially relocate if the opportunity grows there.

This role is not suited to someone who wants a narrow script, a fixed territory, or heavy hand-holding. It is designed for a self-driven all-rounder who can research, pitch, negotiate, write, travel, and keep ownership of complex commercial relationships.

Compensation and Other Notes

Fixed pay is INR 50,000 to 75,000 per month, with uncapped incentives tied directly to deal performance. The role starts immediately. Travel is expected, especially for UAE meetings, and the position may evolve into a Dubai or Abu Dhabi base if business momentum supports it.

The company emphasizes direct access to founders, full ownership of relationships, a live mandate to build a new region, and the opportunity to help shape the playbook for an AI-native business expanding across BFSI and GCC markets.