Product Manager, Strategic Partnerships (Payments)

What you will do:
As a Product Partnerships Manager (PPM), your role will be crucial in identifying, developing, and nurturing strategic alliances that drive growth and innovation for Watu. This position requires a deep understanding of our industry, excellent relationship-building skills, and the ability to negotiate and close deals that create value for both parties. Your primary responsibility will be to identify, cultivate, and manage partnerships with external entities, such as fintech ecosystem partners, mobile operators, IoT platforms, as well as sourcing partners for product-driven customer referrals and rewards program fulfilment, among other strategic partners. Additionally, you will collaborate closely with various internal teams, including product and system development to ensure that partnerships are effectively integrated and managed.
The successful candidate will have a strong technical record, a proven track record of developing and managing successful partnerships, a strategic mindset, a clear understanding of external API-driven product development, and the ability to think creatively to identify new opportunities. This key role will significantly impact our company's growth and success.
Responsibilities:

• Manage payment API integration projects across all key markets and monitor performance and key task delivery timelines
• Collaborate with existing payment partners to solve actual issues
• Maintain clear documentation of access credentials, implementation details, and troubleshooting guidelines of partner APIs that drive product features including payment processing partners, servicing channel partners (eg, WhatsApp, Infobib etc), and any other external parties that drive core product features
• Identify strategic partners, assess their alignment with our organisational goals, and evaluate the benefits of forming partnerships
• Create and maintain Watu’s strategic product partnerships engagement framework - including partner categories and tiers, prioritization, and engagement strategies with a focus on payments
• Lead negotiations with senior stakeholders at potential partners - up to C-level - to establish mutually beneficial agreements, contracts, and collaboration frameworks
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with existing partners, serving as the primary point of contact
• Establish the Watu product team’s external ecosystem engagement strategy, including key industry events, conferences and tech communities
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and execute strategic plans that leverage partnerships to drive revenue growth, expand market reach, or enhance product offerings
• Build and deliver presentations to potential partners and Watu leadership
• Coordinate with legal and finance teams to finalize contracts and agreements with partners.
• Drive internal alignment around 3rd party or external partner-driven product goals

What we are looking for:
Education level:

• Bachelor’s degree (Computer science degree preferred) from an accredited institution or equivalent experience with demonstrated proficiency

Experience:

• Proven experience, 5+ years, in the fintech, telco or equivalent with senior-level engagement and relationship building
• A minimum of 5 years’ management experience, having worked across technical, commercial, and customer-facing environments within the technology industry - particularly telcos and fintech
• Demonstrated experience in product management, product marketing, partnership management, business development, or related roles with a track record of successfully establishing strategic alliances