Associate Director of International Public Policy and Government Affairs (Saudi Arabia/Middle East)

Job description:

Based in Riyadh, this candidate will be part of a growing international public policy and government affairs team (the “Ant IGA Team”), supporting Ant Group’s mission to bring more inclusive, green and sustainable changes to the digital ecosystem in the region. The remit of this role is primarily Saudi Arabia with opportunity to get involved in other GCC and Middle East geographies. This person will report to our Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, EMEA.

We are looking to hire a dynamic self-starter, versatile and seasoned professional with a deep understanding of the local and cross-border digital economy and payment landscape. The work environment is highly matrixed and cross-functional and will require the candidate to collaborate effectively with a variety of internal stakeholders across diverse disciplines, countries and cultures.

Main Responsibilities:

• Build and maintain relationships with key authorities, regulators, and government agencies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, supporting market entry and local establishment and licensing needs for Ant Group’s international business.
• Establish solid working relationships with business colleagues in the Riyadh office and work closely with our internal stakeholders to identify business development and partnership opportunities generated by the Saudi and GCC public policy environment, especially in the areas of cross-border trade, tourism, and the digital economy.
• Provide day-to-day support, strategic advice and recommendations to our international businesses and communicate closely with the business team and related internal stakeholders on key Saudi and GCC policy initiatives.
• Represent Ant Group in KSA fintech policy forums and build close relationships with Saudi stakeholders in relevant policy and business areas including fintech, digital payments, cross-border trade, and ESG.
• Support the Ant IGA team and its wider ESG mandate in providing local insights, briefing materials, and event management support related to the KSA and GCC region.
• Manage day-to-day engagement with external resources in the KSA, such as consultancies and trade associations, as well as any relevant third-party relationships.

Qualifications:

• Kingdom of Saudi Arabia national
• At least 8 years of public policy and government affairs experience, with demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships and meaningful engagement with Saudi local authorities, regulators, and government agencies
• Deep understanding of the KSA policy and regulatory landscape in relation to cross-border digital payments, fintech and the digital economy
• Prior work with KSA government or experience driving public-private partnerships in the cross-border trade, digital economy, or tourism areas would be an asset
• Prior exposure to sustainability and ESG work would be a plus
• Business development mindset, highly motivated self-starter, strong cultural adaptability and keen learning capacity
• Effective communication skills to convince, build trust, and create mutual understanding
• Strong project management skills with good attention to details and solid analytical skills to “think out of the box”
• A team player who inspires confidence in people
• Excellent command of English and Arabic
• Impeccable degree of discretion, confidentiality, and ethics

About Ant Group

Ant Group aims to build the infrastructure and platforms to support the digital transformation of the service industry. Through continuous innovation, we strive to provide all consumers and small and micro businesses equal access to digital financial and other daily life services that are convenient, sustainable and inclusive.

For more information, please visit our website at www.antgroup.com.