Partnership Manager - Merchant Partnerships and Loyalty

Overview

Join PayTech Group as a Partnerships Manager within the Loyalty, Cards & Payments division based in Doha, Qatar. This fixed-term role of 18 months focuses on expanding and enhancing the merchant ecosystem to deliver impactful cardholder offers and drive business growth in the GCC payments market. Reporting directly to senior heads of Loyalty, Partnerships, and Cards Portfolio, the role combines commercial strategy with hands-on execution across the merchant partnership lifecycle.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead sourcing, evaluation, and onboarding of merchant partners in sectors such as retail, dining, travel, e-commerce, and lifestyle, aligning partnerships with card portfolio strategy and customer segments.
• Serve as the key contact for existing merchant partners, conducting frequent business performance reviews, resolving issues proactively, and identifying upselling and cross-selling opportunities to deepen partnerships.
• Develop, negotiate, and refine merchant-funded offers, cashback schemes, and loyalty rewards aimed at improving cardholder engagement and increasing transaction volume.
• Monitor competitor loyalty programs, emerging merchant segments, and consumer trends within Qatar and the GCC to guide strategic partnership decisions.
• Coordinate closely with teams across product, marketing, digital channels, risk, and compliance to guarantee smooth offer rollout, regulatory adherence, and campaign delivery.

Performance Indicators

• Number of new merchant partners onboarded quarterly.
• Offer redemption rates reflecting cardholder participation levels.
• Percentage of incremental spend directly linked to merchant offers versus baseline.
• Merchant partner retention and contract renewal rates.
• Composite cardholder engagement metrics including offer views, redemptions, and repeat usage.

Required Experience and Knowledge

• 5 to 8 years of experience in partnership management, merchant acquisition, or loyalty program leadership within banking, payments, or fintech sectors.
• Solid background in merchant acquisition, partnership maintenance, or business development in card issuing or acquiring contexts.
• Expertise in loyalty program structures including points, cashback, merchant-funded, and coalition offers.
• Understanding of interchange economics and compliance with schemes such as Mastercard and Visa.
• Familiarity with CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot), loyalty management platforms (Comarch, Collinson, Giift, Novus Loyalty), campaign management software, and data analytics platforms like Excel (advanced), Tableau, or Power BI.
• Experience utilizing digital channels such as mobile banking apps and e-wallets for distributing offers.
• Strong negotiation, presentation, and interpersonal communication capabilities.
• Data-driven mindset with the ability to analyze performance metrics and derive actionable insights.
• Proven ability to manage multiple partnerships and prioritize responsibilities effectively.
• Experience engaging with senior stakeholders internally and externally.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Finance, or related disciplines; an MBA is advantageous.
• Arabic language proficiency to enhance merchant engagement in the Qatar/GCC region.
• Certifications such as Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional (CLMP) or similar credentials.
• Experience with A/B testing or experimental design methods for optimizing offers.

Additional Requirements

• Fluent professional-level English is mandatory for communication with stakeholders.
• Immediate availability or short notice period preferred.