Director, Specialist Sales - SME Solutions

Our Purpose

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

Title and Summary

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments, and businesses realize their greatest potential.

Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

Role Overview

Location: Nigeria

• The Director - SME Specialist Sales is based in Nigeria, leads the West Africa cluster, and reports to the Africa Division Lead for SME Commercialization.
• This role requires a strategic, consultative mindset and the ability to operate credibly as a trusted advisor to clients, combining high-level thinking with strong execution discipline.
• Lead the development and execution of SME growth strategies by combining sales leadership with strategic advisory support, helping clients identify opportunities, solve business challenges and unlock revenue and profitability through tailored solutions.
• Build and manage a strong pipeline while engaging clients through a hands-on, consultative approach, including on-site client interactions, needs assessment, opportunity shaping and solution positioning across Financial Institutions and non-financial institution partners.
• Identify, originate and convert new business opportunities, develop SME ecosystem plays, and drive the commercialization of signed deals to deliver measurable revenue outcomes.
• Contribute to achieving SME P&L objectives across key customers in the West Africa cluster aligned to regional expert sales priorities and business goals.
• Identify product, proposition and business innovation opportunities across SME payment segments.
• Provide subject matter expertise and advisory leadership by working closely with clients and internal stakeholders to diagnose needs, shape strategic recommendations and lead end-to-end execution across sales, product and market teams.
• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing team culture that promotes accountability, collaboration, strong execution and continuous improvement.

Qualifications Required

• Deep knowledge of SME products and services, including SME card and solutions offerings, with significant experience in sales and business development within the SME space.
• Progressive business experience with a strong track record in the payments industry and a solid understanding of commercial and consumer payments.
• Strong strategic thinking and consulting capabilities, including the ability to assess client needs, translate market insights into actionable recommendations and influence decision-making at senior levels.

• Experience in consulting, solution selling or advisory-led client management, with a strong track record of working directly with customers in on-site environments to shape opportunities, guide implementation and deliver business outcomes.

Corporate Security Responsibility

All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must:

• Abide by Mastercard’s security policies and practices;

• Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;

• Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and

• Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard’s guidelines.