Mastercard Foundation is a global foundation with hubs in Kigali, Nairobi, Accra, and Toronto. Established in 2006, the Foundation operates independently from Mastercard and supports initiatives focused on financial inclusion, education, learning, and youth employment.
The Foundation works to support inclusive development and economic opportunities, particularly for young people and communities across Africa.
Job Summary
Mastercard Foundation is seeking a Director, Specialist Sales – SME Solutions to lead SME commercialization activities across the West Africa cluster from Nigeria.
Reporting to the Africa Division Lead for SME Commercialization, the role combines sales leadership, strategic advisory, client engagement, and business development. The successful candidate will help financial institutions and other partners identify SME growth opportunities, develop tailored solutions, and convert commercial opportunities into measurable business outcomes.
The role also involves building strategic client relationships, managing the sales pipeline, identifying innovation opportunities, and leading a high-performing team.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the development and execution of SME growth strategies across the West Africa cluster.
- Provide strategic and consultative support to clients to identify opportunities and address business challenges.
- Build and manage a strong pipeline of SME-related business opportunities.
- Engage clients through on-site interactions, needs assessments, opportunity development, and solution positioning.
- Identify, originate, and convert new business opportunities across financial and non-financial institution partners.
- Develop SME ecosystem opportunities and drive the commercialization of signed agreements.
- Contribute to SME profit and loss objectives across key West African customers.
- Identify opportunities for product, proposition, and business innovation within SME payment segments.
- Provide subject matter expertise and advisory leadership to clients and internal stakeholders.
- Translate market insights and client needs into practical strategic recommendations.
- Lead end-to-end execution across sales, product, and market teams.
- Develop strong relationships with senior-level client stakeholders and influence business decisions.
- Coach and develop team members while promoting accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Support the achievement of regional sales priorities and broader business objectives.
Requirements and Qualifications
- Deep knowledge of SME products and services, including SME card and solutions offerings.
- Significant experience in SME sales and business development.
- Progressive professional experience with a strong track record in the payments industry.
- Solid understanding of commercial and consumer payments.
- Strong strategic thinking and consulting capabilities.
- Ability to assess client needs and translate market insights into actionable recommendations.
- Demonstrated ability to influence decision-making at senior levels.
- Experience in consulting, solution selling, or advisory-led client management.
- Proven experience working directly with customers to develop opportunities and support implementation.
- Strong understanding of business commercialization and revenue generation.
- Excellent client relationship, communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
- Ability to operate strategically while maintaining strong execution discipline.
Corporate Security Responsibilities
Because the role may involve access to organizational assets, information, and networks, the successful candidate is expected to:
- Comply with Mastercard’s applicable security policies and practices.
- Protect the confidentiality and integrity of information accessed.
- Report suspected information security violations or breaches.
- Complete mandatory periodic security training in accordance with applicable guidelines.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate should be a commercially minded SME and payments professional with strong strategic, consulting, and client advisory capabilities. The role requires someone who can combine senior-level business thinking with hands-on execution, develop meaningful client relationships, and translate SME market opportunities into commercially viable solutions.
Salary and Benefits
Salary: Not Specified
Specific benefits were not stated in the vacancy.
Application Closing Date
18th September 2026
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply online through the Mastercard careers portal using the provided application link.
