Business Operations Lead, Financial Partnerships

The Role: Business Operations, Financial Partnerships

As a member of the Business Operations team at Reap, you will play a pivotal role in driving our Financial Partnerships function. This position focuses on two key areas:

Financial Institutions (FIs)

You will manage relationships with our banking partners, focusing on banking operations, treasury management, transaction banking access, and risk management. You will help Reap unlock new business opportunities by leveraging our bank partners’ infrastructure to support our payment products and enhance overall risk management strategies.

Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFIs)

You will manage a range of non-bank partners, including fintechs, networks (card and blockchain), and liquidity providers. You will work with fintech partners to mitigate risk, accelerate market entry, open new payment corridors, and reduce FX conversion costs. For networks, you will manage relationships with key players like Visa, Mastercard, and blockchain networks, ensuring Reap is positioned for current and future growth. You will also assess blockchain networks for treasury management, node operations and management, and explore liquidity options with stablecoin issuers and market makers.

Key Focus Areas:

Strategy

• Develop a comprehensive partnership strategy and identify new partners in existing and new markets, aligning with Reap’s expansion and long-term goals.
• Lead partner negotiations, identifying new revenue channels and structuring partnerships that drive business growth.
• Align the partnership strategy with Reap’s ambitions for global market expansion.

Operations

• Establish operational readiness with partners through cross-functional collaboration, from initial scoping to going live.
• Act as a bridge between financial partners and internal teams to guide strategic initiatives and projects, including maintaining SLAs, terms, commercials, and monitoring agreed KPIs.
• Use relationships with banks and partners to negotiate better terms for treasury services, FX conversions, and working capital management.

Account Management

• Build deep, trusted partnerships that shape decision-making for Reap and its partners.
• Manage existing partnerships to deepen Reap’s product stack and broaden our global reach.
• Ensure partnerships can support rapid growth, providing scalable solutions that deliver long-term value.

You will:

• Manage and deepen relationships with FIs and NBFIs to drive Reap’s strategic objectives globally.
• Work cross-functionally with product, compliance, legal, finance, growth, internal operations, and marketing teams to ensure seamless collaboration and operational success with our partners.
• Scout, select, and engage with banks, fintechs, and digital asset exchanges to develop new partnerships and maintain Reap’s competitive edge.
• Drive the operationalisation of partnerships with banks, fintechs, networks, and liquidity providers, ensuring alignment with Reap’s go-to-market strategy.
• Develop long-term, commercially viable relationships with key decision-makers within partner organisations.
• Refine commercial relationships to ensure partnerships evolve into revenue-driving opportunities for Reap.
• Navigate complex regulatory environments and balance partner risk appetites with Reap’s business strategy.

You might be a fit if:

• You have 8+ years of experience in institutional-facing roles in electronic trading (FX or digital), banking (private, corporate, operational, custodial), Digital Asset Exchanges, Stablecoin Issuers, and Fintechs with a digital asset nexus.
• You have a deep understanding of international fiat on- and offramp and payment rails (RTP Local Rails, ACH, Wire, SWIFT), correspondent banking relationships, and custodians/payment vendors catering to digital asset markets across multiple jurisdictions.
• You excel in bridging business, strategy, and product interests, supporting payment product requirements, partner selection, and overseeing the timely onboarding and operationalisation of these partners.
• You have a track record of success in strategic procurement and partnership management with traditional FIs, ideally building fiat rails for high-risk businesses in regulated markets.
• You have experience with cross-functional collaboration, working with leadership in product, compliance, risk, finance, treasury, legal, procurement, vendor, and contract management.
• You are a strong networker, with exceptional sales and relationship management skills and a proven ability to build long-term partnerships.
• You have a demonstrated ability to build and scale partnerships in highly regulated environments and markets with complex political dynamics.

Nice to have:

• Experience with liquidity providers, including stablecoin issuers and market makers.
• Background in blockchain or digital asset markets, particularly in managing blockchain node operations and management and evaluating blockchain networks for internal treasury operations.
• Experience in a high-growth fintech or technology company.

Your mission:

• Develop and execute a forward-looking partnership strategy, anticipating industry changes and ensuring redundancy in key relationships.
• Proactively engage and onboard key partners, from banks to fintechs and digital asset exchanges, ensuring Reap becomes their top priority.
• Drive the scaling of Reap’s operations across strategic jurisdictions, delivering new fiat rails and unlocking payment opportunities that support business growth.
• Maintain a constant focus on commercial outcomes, turning relationships into revenue drivers for the long term.
• Provide high visibility to leadership on the progress and success of financial partnerships, as Reap’s market entry and growth depend on the outcomes of these relationships.