Role in brief
Alpaca, a global brokerage infrastructure provider, seeks a Head of Business Development to drive expansion across the Middle East. This role involves building strategic relationships with financial institutions and government bodies, navigating regulatory landscapes, and identifying commercial opportunities. It suits a seasoned professional with a strong regional network in fintech or capital markets, ready to establish Alpaca's presence from the ground up.
About the role
This role focuses on expanding Alpaca's footprint in the Middle East by cultivating relationships with fintechs, exchanges, brokerages, banks, and government institutions. The Head of Business Development will act as a primary interface for prospective and existing clients, identifying partnership opportunities and fostering long-term engagements. Success in this position means securing new commercial ventures and deepening Alpaca's market penetration across the region.
The individual will collaborate closely with internal sales, marketing, and product teams to align regional strategies with overall company goals. This includes translating customer needs into strategic solutions and analyzing business performance to refine sales approaches. The role requires a proactive approach to market entry, including engaging with local communities and representing Alpaca at industry events and in media engagements.
A key aspect of this position involves navigating the regulatory environment in the Middle East, engaging directly with regulators and government agencies. The Head of Business Development will champion Alpaca's value proposition, utilizing a deep understanding of its platform to address regional pain points. This person will be instrumental in executing Alpaca's go-to-market strategy and achieving revenue targets for the region.
The salary for this full-time Head of Business Development role ranges from $60,000 to $100,000 USD annually.
Skills that matter here
- business development: This role is centered on initiating and nurturing commercial relationships to expand Alpaca's market presence in the Middle East.
- strategic partnerships: The position requires identifying and cultivating alliances with key financial institutions and government entities across the region.
- institutional sales: A core responsibility involves engaging with large financial organizations to drive adoption of Alpaca's brokerage infrastructure.
- fintech: Understanding the fintech landscape is crucial for identifying potential clients and partners within the Middle East.
- capital markets: Familiarity with capital markets is necessary to effectively engage with brokerages, banks, and other financial institutions.
- digital assets: The role involves understanding and promoting Alpaca's offerings in the digital asset space, including tokenization and blockchain.
Who this role suits
- You have a proven track record in business development or institutional sales within financial services, specifically in the Middle East.
- You possess an established network of contacts among fintechs, exchanges, or regulators in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, or the broader GCC.
- You are comfortable engaging with government agencies and navigating complex regulatory frameworks.
- You are a self-starter who thrives in a remote-first environment and is capable of building a region from the ground up.
From the employer
Your Role
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with fintechs, exchanges, brokerages, banks, primes, and ecosystem partners across the Middle East.
- Serve as a key executive interface with prospective and existing clients in the region, identifying opportunities to deepen partnerships and expand adoption.
- Navigate high-stakes engagements with regulators, government agencies, and public sector institutions to support Alpaca's regional expansion.
- Nurture client relationships across the region — from initial opportunity scoping through ongoing strategic engagement and partnership growth.
- Identify and pursue new commercial opportunities in collaboration with Sales, Marketing, Product, and the Director of Business Development.
- Support account conversion by partnering with the sales team on lead nurturing and referral follow-up.
- Drive Alpaca's go-to-market execution across Middle East geographies and verticals through engagement with local fintech communities, regulators, founders, and institutional partners.
- Collaborate closely with the Director of Business Development and Head of Sales to execute against revenue targets and regional expansion priorities.
- Champion Alpaca's product value proposition by deeply understanding the platform and translating regional customer pain points into strategic solutions.
- Analyze CRM data and business performance metrics to inform regional sales strategy and uncover growth opportunities.
- Represent Alpaca at high-profile regional industry conferences, regulatory roundtables, and ecosystem events.
- Serve as a public-facing spokesperson for Alpaca in government meetings, webinars, client workshops, and strategic media engagements across the region.
- Host and organize regional networking events and client briefings to showcase Alpaca's leadership and reinforce customer trust.
- Prepare and deliver high-impact sales presentations and regular performance reports, translating data into actionable insights for leadership.
Who You Are (Must-Haves)
- 8+ years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships, or institutional sales within financial services, fintech, capital markets, or digital assets, with substantial experience in the Middle East.
- An existing network of relationships among fintechs, exchanges, brokerages, banks, primes, or regulators in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, or the broader GCC.
- Experience engaging directly with regulators and government agencies, and familiarity with regional regulatory frameworks (e.g. DIFC, ADGM, VARA, CMA, SCA).
- Strong understanding of (or strong appetite to quickly learn) brokerage infrastructure, tokenization, blockchain-based settlement, and digital asset market structure.
- Track record sourcing and nurturing strategic relationships that convert into commercial opportunities over time.
- Excellent executive presence and communication skills, comfortable acting as a public-facing representative of the firm with clients, regulators, and media.
- Comfortable working cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Product, and executive leadership in a fast-moving, remote-first environment.
- Self-starter mentality with strong organizational skills, a bias toward action, and comfort building a region largely from scratch.
- Fluency in English required; Arabic fluency strongly preferred.
- Willingness to travel regularly within the region.
How We Take Care of You:
- Competitive Salary & Stock Options.
- Health Benefits.
- New Hire Home-Office Setup: One-time USD $500.
- Monthly Stipend: USD $150 per month via a Brex Card.
- Alpaca is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace dedicated to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce.
Questions about this role
What is the remote work policy for this position?
This is a fully remote position, but candidates must be willing to travel regularly within the Middle East region.
What level of seniority is expected for this role?
This is a Head-level position, requiring significant experience in business development, strategic partnerships, or institutional sales.
Which skills are essential for this role?
Key skills include business development, strategic partnerships, institutional sales, and experience in fintech, capital markets, or digital assets, with a strong understanding of the Middle East market.