Senior Associate Ecosystem Industry Partnerships

Job Summary:

We are seeking a highly motivated Deep-Tech focused engagement
manager to join our R&D team focused on advancing payments technologies
through cutting-edge research and innovation. This pivotal role will serve as a
key interface between our internal research engineers, external technology
partners such as OEMs, telcos, specialized research labs, academic institutions
and internal stakeholders. The successful candidate will identify and cultivate
opportunities where emerging technologies can be applied to solve complex
payment challenges, driving projects that deliver both research breakthroughs
and tangible commercial outcomes

Key Responsibilities:

·       Engage and Collaborate with
External Partners: Establish and maintain strong working relationships with
OEMs, telecommunications operators, industry research labs, and other deep tech
units to identify potential collaboration opportunities that leverage
pioneering technologies.

·       Synergy Identification: Analyse
partner capabilities and ongoing research initiatives to uncover synergies with
our R&D goals in payments technology and co-create project concepts with
high innovation and business impact potential.

·       Internal Stakeholder Alignment:
Work closely with product teams, engineering groups, and other internal units
to understand their challenges, gather detailed problem statements, and communicate
R&D progress and opportunities effectively.

·       Project Facilitation: Support
the R&D team by translating complex technical discussions into actionable
project plans that balance research rigor with commercial feasibility.

·       Innovation Scouting & Road
mapping: Monitor emerging trends in payments tech and adjacent fields,
providing inputs to shape the team’s research roadmap and prioritize
initiatives that align with strategic goals.

·       Technical Evangelism: Act as a
bridge between deep technical experts and internal teams, driving awareness and
understanding of cutting-edge innovations in the payments domain.

·       Documentation & Reporting:
Produce clear, concise reports and presentations summarizing collaborative
insights, project statuses, and business impact potential for both technical
and non-technical audiences.

Requirements:
Technical Qualifications:

·       Bachelor’s degree in computer
science, Electronics, Telecommunications, or a related engineering discipline.
Advanced degrees are a plus.

·       Strong understanding of
payments ecosystems, including transaction processing, security protocols, and
hardware/software integrations.

·       Familiarity with deep tech
areas such as IoT, edge computing, protocols (MQTT, EMV, etc) secure element
technology, next-gen telecom infrastructure (5G/6G), cryptography, quantum (on
the job learning is encouraged, basic know how is required)

·       Ability to grasp complex
technical concepts quickly and communicate them effectively to diverse
audiences.

·       Experience working in
collaborative environments.

Business & Interpersonal Skills:

·       Excellent stakeholder
management skills with proven ability to align multiple teams and external
partners around common goals.

·       Strong analytical and
problem-solving abilities to synthesize technical and business inputs into
coherent development opportunities.

·       Effective verbal and written
communication skills, capable of tailoring messaging between technical experts
and internal business units.

·       Proactive and self-driven with
the ability to balance multiple projects and priorities in a dynamic
environment.

·       Collaborative mindset with a
passion for innovation and an entrepreneurial approach to R&D challenges.

Expectations

·       Serve as the go-to liaison for
external technical partnerships and internal R&D alignment within the
payment’s domain.

·       Deliver well-vetted use cases
and project proposals that blend research innovation with practical commercial
potential.

·       Drive continuous knowledge
exchange between external labs, OEMs, telcos, and internal teams to foster an
ecosystem of collaboration.

·       Ensure timely, transparent
communication on project progress and opportunity pipelines to R&D
leadership and relevant stakeholders.

·       Contribute to the strategic
evolution of the company’s R&D roadmap by integrating insights from
external ecosystem and internal problem statements.

·       Maintain a strong network of
contacts within relevant technology and research communities to enable ongoing
opportunity identification.

This role offers a unique opportunity to influence the future of
payments technologies by bridging deep technical exploration with real-world
impact, making it ideal for individuals passionate about innovation and
collaboration in a fast-evolving sector.