Network Partnerships Manager - Japan

Aspire is the leading all-in-one finance operating system for growing businesses in APAC. We are on a mission to reinvent business finance for a new generation of entrepreneurs and business owners, empowering startups and MSME to realise their full potential. 

Founded in 2018, Aspire has raised over USD 300M+ across equity and debt from world-class investors. In 2023, we successfully closed an oversubscribed USD 100 million Series C equity round led by Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Ventures with participation of Tencent, Paypal Ventures, LGT Capital Partners, Picus Capital and MassMutual Ventures. To power our solutions, we have partnered with some of the best companies in the world such as Visa and Wise and helped more than 15,000 businesses using our suite of products.

For 2 consecutive years in 2022 & 2023, Aspire has been awarded Best Employer of the Year and Startup of the year by Asia FinTech Awards, and also LinkedIn’s Top Startup in Singapore. In 2023, we also made it to CB Insights’ Top 100 Global Fintech List. 

You will be amazed by the energy and experience of our team! Aspire serves as an environment for you to innovate and drive change with our team of ex-entrepreneurs, ex-founders, and high-achievers with international and diverse backgrounds.

Are you a top talent who is passionate about entrepreneurship? Join our rapidly growing team to make an impact in the fintech space! 

About the role:

At Aspire, we recognize that the foundation of our success lies in the seamless integration of cutting-edge payment solutions into our Finance Operating System. The Network team plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of Aspire by establishing and nurturing strategic payment infrastructure alliances. Our team serves as the enabler, unlocking payment products, payment rails, paymodes, as well as building and expanding a robust payment network that aligns with the evolving needs of our clients and the overarching vision of the company. 

We are seeking a highly motivated and results-driven Network Partnerships Manager for Japan, to help build and manage our payments infrastructure in Japan. You will be responsible for building and leading our partnerships with financial institutions in-country, including banks, payment service providers, card networks, and other players locally. You will play a pivotal role working together with the Product, Commercial, Legal and Compliance teams in defining Aspire's product and partnership roadmap in Japan, based on business and customer needs, regulatory environment, and the demands of financial partners.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, execute, and optimize a comprehensive partnership plan with local financial institutions, in alignment with the company's overall goals and objectives.
• Work cross functionally with internal stakeholders to evaluate network partners based on strategic fit and product capabilities, in line with Aspire's values and vision.
• Support Product teams in building and launching our products in Japan, and Commercial teams in our go-to-market execution and delivery.
• Support Strategy and Regulatory teams where needed in ensuring adherence to local regulatory and licensing requirements.
• Owning the end-to-end relationship with network partners in Japan.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+  years of product partnership experience working at or with payment companies or financial institutions.
• Understanding of transaction banking and cash management solutions.
• Strong sense of ownership, and demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem solving skills,
• Good communicator with ability to drive conversations and negotiation with decision makers.

What we offer

• Uncapped flexible annual leave.
• Hybrid work arrangement. 
• Training subsidy for your professional growth.
• Wellness benefit.
• Team bonding budget to foster collaboration and sense of belonging.
• Flexibility to work from anywhere (for up to 90 days per annum).
• Culture is Key: We always strive to cultivate a special culture that brings special talents together - You can learn more about our culture on our careers site and LinkedIn Life page.
  

Equal Opportunity Statement 

Aspire is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by applicable laws. 

Please note: by submitting your application, you acknowledge that you have read and understood Aspire’s Data Protection Policy for Employees, Freelancers, Contractors and Job Applicants (the “Policy”), and consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal data by Aspire for the purposes set out in the Policy. You may withdraw consent for such collection, use and disclosure, and make an access or correction request in respect of your personal data, in accordance with the Policy by emailing people@aspireapp.com.