Our client is appointing a Senior Ecosystem and Partnership Lead to be part of the design, build and implementation of an employee share plan management ecosystem across key global markets, with the company positioned at the core.
This role is responsible for defining what the optimal end-to-end ecosystem looks like in each geography, identifying and selecting best-in-class partners, and structuring commercially sound, scalable partnership agreements.
The role spans research, strategy, partner origination, commercial negotiation and ongoing ecosystem optimization. It is not a relationship-only role. It is a commercially accountable, execution-driven role requiring experience in complex, multi-party service ecosystems.

Key responsibilities:
Ecosystem Design & Strategy
Define the ideal cradle-to-grave employee share plan ecosystem by geography, covering:
Plan design and advisory
Legal, tax and regulatory services
Trustees, brokers, custodians and administrators
Payroll, HRIS and reporting integrations
Assess market maturity, regulatory complexity and client demand to determine ecosystem depth and sequencing per region
Establish the company as the central orchestration layer within each ecosystem

Market & Partner Research
Conduct research into local and global service providers across each ecosystem layer
Evaluate partners based on capability, scale, regulatory standing, commercial fit and strategic alignment
Build and maintain a structured global partner intelligence database.

Partner Origination & Engagement
Identify, prioritize and engage target partners in each geography
Lead senior-level partner discussions, positioning company as the platform of record
Design partnership value propositions that are compelling, defensible and scalable

Commercial Structuring & Deal Execution
Lead end-to-end partnership transactions, including:
Commercial model design
Pricing and revenue-share structures
Procurement and onboarding processes 
Contract negotiation and execution
Work closely with Sales, Product and Operations to ensure ecosystem delivery supports client growth and retention

Experience & Qualifications
Senior experience in partnerships, ecosystem development or commercial strategy within:
Financial service
Capital markets
Fintech or platform businesses
Demonstrated track record of structuring and closing complex commercial partnerships
Experience operating across multiple jurisdictions and regulatory environments
Strong understanding of employee share plans, equity compensation or adjacent financial market services (highly advantageous)
Proven ability to operate independently in ambiguous, research-heavy environments

Attributes
Highly commercial, with strong deal judgement and negotiation capability
Strategically minded but execution-focused
Comfortable owning outcomes across the full partnership lifecycle
Credible with senior stakeholders, partners and internal leadership
Structured, disciplined and resilient in long-cycle, multi-stakeholder negotiations