Business Development Manager - Francophone Africa at Lemfi

LemFi (Series B) is building the go-to financial app for the Global South. Moving to a new country shouldn’t mean starting from zero. That's why our team of 400+ spanning 20+ countries is building a financial ecosystem that helps immigrants stay connected to home, build stability, and create wealth regardless of where they are from or where they live. What began as fast, affordable remittances is now evolving into a complete platform for multi-currency accounts, payments, credit, and long-term financial growth. With over 2 million users across the globe, we process over $1.5B in monthly transactions to 30+ countries, proving that borders shouldn't limit financial opportunity. ROLE OVERVIEW We are looking for a Business Development Manager - Francophone Africa to build and scale strategic partnerships across key markets. This role will focus on financial institutions, regulators, aggregators, and mobile money operators, playing a critical role in expanding corridors, improving unit economics, and ensuring regulatory alignment. You will work closely with Treasury, Compliance, Product, and Growth teams to enable sustainable expansion. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES PARTNERSHIPS & MARKET EXPANSION - Build and manage strategic partnerships with banks, financial institutions, aggregators, and mobile money operators - Identify and evaluate new partners to support corridor launches and volume growth - Own partner onboarding from initial discussions through go-live COMMERCIAL NEGOTIATION - Lead commercial negotiations, including pricing, FX margins, settlement terms, SLAs, and volumes - Renegotiate existing contracts to improve fees, limits, liquidity, and reliability - Structure win-win partnerships aligned with LemFi’s growth objectives REGULATORY & STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT - Engage with regulators and regulatory bodies in collaboration with Compliance and Legal teams - Support licensing discussions, regulatory submissions, and partner due diligence - Act as a trusted external representative of LemFi in strategic regulatory conversations CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION - Work closely with Treasury on funding models, liquidity planning, and settlement cycles - Partner with Product & Engineering teams during integrations and technical rollouts - Align with Growth and Operations to ensure partnerships support commercial goals PERFORMANCE & OPTIMIZATION - Monitor partner performance (success rates, downtime, settlement delays) - Identify risks and proactively manage escalation and resolution - Continuously optimize partner mix for reliability, cost efficiency, and scalability WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCE - 5+ years of experience in Business Development, Partnerships, or Commercial roles - Fluent French Speaker - Strong background in fintech, payments, remittances, mobile money, or banking - Proven experience negotiating with aggregators, MNOs, or financial institutions - Exposure to regulatory environments across multiple markets is a strong plus SKILLS - Excellent commercial and negotiation skills - Strong understanding of cross-border payments, FX, and settlement flows - Ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder relationships - Comfortable working in fast-paced, high-growth environments - Strong written and verbal communication skills TRAITS - Strategic but execution-focused - Comfortable with ambiguity and rapid change - Relationship-driven with strong ownership mindset - Detail-oriented with a strong sense of accountability WHY JOIN LEMFI - Work on high-impact, global payment corridors - Direct exposure to regulators, banks, and major fintech partners - Opportunity to shape partnerships that move millions in monthly volume - Fast growth, strong ownership, and real decision-making responsibility Why Join LemFi? Love shouldn’t be expensive, yet those working hardest for their families often face predatory fees and banking exclusion. We're changing this. At LemFi, you won’t be just a cog in a machine. Whether designing products, scaling operations, or telling our story, you’ll tackle complex challenges with real, immediate impact. Your work goes beyond metrics - it puts money back in families’ pockets and offers access to the previously excluded. Join us to make a meaningful difference, where high performance is a lifeline for millions. Our Values: How We Win - Sharp Customer Focus 🎯 We cut through the noise and prioritize ruthlessly based on what drives real value. - Lead with Data 📊 We trade instinct for insight. We test, analyze, and own the outcomes. - Ownership 🤝 We take responsibility for global outcomes, not just local wins. - Grit 💪 We navigate ambiguity with resilience and keep pushing until the customer feels the impact. You can connect with us on LinkedIn [Upgrade to PRO to see link] and Instagram [Upgrade to PRO to see link] and if you haven't already, download the app on the App Store [Upgrade to PRO to see link] or Google Play [Upgrade to PRO to see link] Diversity & Inclusion at LemFi To build the best financial tools for the global diaspora, we need a team that reflects the world we serve. We welcome builders from all walks of life who embody our values over a perfect resume. Don’t meet every single requirement in the job ad? Research shows that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds often hesitate to apply if they don't check every box. If you are excited about this role and our mission, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be just the right person for this, or other roles.