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.