Director / Senior Director of Business Development, Financial Services

Great to Meet You! We are Ascenda
Ascenda powers the growth of leading financial services brands worldwide with premium rewards programs that differentiate their products, drive profitable customer behaviors, and create sustained  engagement.
We are behind the world-class rewards propositions of major banks and fintechs around the globe, including brands like American Express, Capital One, Brex, Robinhood, Ramp, HSBC, Virgin Money (Australia), SMBC (Japan), ICBC (China), Bradesco (Brazil), ANZ (Australia), HDFC (India) and many others.
We are a thriving global Loyalty as a Service company and experiencing rapid expansion. Join our dynamic finance team as one of its earliest leaders, contributing to the development of our financial planning strategies as we strive for hypergrowth. Our team spans 20 cities worldwide, with dual headquarters in Singapore and New York, totaling 250 team members. The RoleAs Director / Senior Director of Business Development, Financial Services, you will own and close complex enterprise partnerships with major financial institutions, driving net-new revenue growth across the US market. Reporting into the SVP of Business Development, Financial Institutions, you will serve as a senior commercial lead responsible for originating, advancing, and converting high-value opportunities into long-term revenue-generating clients.
This is a senior, externally facing role requiring strong executive presence, disciplined deal leadership, and deep expertise in loyalty economics. You will lead senior-level sales conversations with banking executives, shape strategic partnership discussions, and independently drive enterprise negotiations from initial engagement through contract execution.
You will operate as a hands-on commercial owner, building sales materials, developing business cases, structuring commercial models, and coordinating internal stakeholders to ensure opportunities are progressed with rigor and clarity. This role plays a critical part in expanding Ascenda’s footprint within the US financial services market while supporting global engagement as required.
Your Impact

• Own and close complex enterprise partnerships across major financial institutions, with primary responsibility for the US market
• Originate new sales opportunities by leveraging an established industry network and proactive market engagement
• Synthesize client feedback and translate market signals into actionable product insights, partnering with Product to prioritize technology investments and shape the product roadmap
• Lead senior executive conversations, articulating a clear and differentiated value proposition grounded in loyalty program economics
• Progress opportunities from qualification through commercial structuring, procurement, negotiation, and signed agreement
• Develop tailored commercial models and internal business cases to support strategic partnership discussions
• Develop and customize client-facing materials to strengthen positioning and win probability
• Maintain disciplined pipeline management and accurate forecasting to ensure predictable revenue delivery
• Represent Ascenda at industry events and executive forums to strengthen market presence and generate new opportunities
• Provide structured market feedback and competitive insights to inform commercial and product strategy

 Who You Are

• 10+ years of enterprise business development or sales experience within financial services, loyalty, or payments
• Proven track record of independently closing complex, high-value, multi-stakeholder enterprise deals
• Deep understanding of loyalty program economics, monetization models, and the levers that create long-term partnership value
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence senior banking stakeholders
• Experienced in navigating enterprise procurement, risk, legal, and negotiation processes
• Hands-on and resourceful, comfortable building materials, structuring deals, and driving execution without heavy support infrastructure
• Combines strong analytical thinking with commercial acumen to evaluate broader client business impact and solve complex, ambiguous challenges
• Thrives in a fast-paced, scaling environment and operates with high ownership and accountability
• Structured thinker and communicator who presents ideas in a simple, actionable manner
• A true role model for Ascenda’s core values of growth mindset, hands-on ownership, supportive collaboration, and radic