KOL BD Director (Middle East) - Crypto Exchange Experience Required

Regional Head of Business Development – Futures | Middle East

Location: Middle East

Work Arrangement: Remote

Reporting To: CEO

Industry: Crypto / Digital Assets / Centralized Exchange (CEX)

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Regional Head of Business Development – Futures to lead our business development and market expansion efforts across the Middle East region.

This is a senior, hands-on leadership role for a proven BD professional who has experience working at a mid-tier or established cryptocurrency exchange, with a strong track record in Futures/derivatives business development, KOL and affiliate partnerships, trading volume growth, and team management.

The ideal candidate should already have an established network across the MENA crypto ecosystem and be able to hit the ground running — identifying high-value partners, building and managing a KOL BD team, developing market strategies, and driving measurable trading volume and revenue.

Key Responsibilities

1. Regional Business Development & Market Expansion

• Develop and execute the MENA regional Futures BD strategy, aligned with the company's overall growth objectives.
• Lead market expansion initiatives across key Middle East markets and identify new opportunities for user, partner, and trading-volume growth.
• Build and execute aggressive but sustainable market penetration strategies based on market conditions, competitor activity, and regional opportunities.
• Take ownership of key regional business metrics, including trading volume, active traders, new trading users, deposits, revenue, and overall market performance.
• Identify and prioritize high-potential markets, channels, and partnership opportunities within the MENA region.

2. KOL, Affiliate & Partnership Development

• Identify, recruit, negotiate with, and manage high-value KOLs, YouTubers, Twitter/X influencers, trading communities, affiliate partners, and crypto ecosystem partners.
• Build long-term strategic partnerships through competitive commission, rebate, and incentive structures.
• Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of regional KOLs, affiliates, community leaders, professional traders, and other high-volume trading partners.
• Establish and optimize partnership models that directly contribute to user acquisition, deposits, trading activity, and Futures trading volume.
• Maintain strong relationships with key external partners and continuously expand the company's regional network.

3. KOL BD Team Leadership & Management

• Build, manage, and develop a KOL/BD team focused on the MENA market.
• Set clear team objectives, KPIs, performance targets, and incentive structures.
• Develop a structured KPI and performance management model covering partner acquisition, active KOLs, FTDs, trading users, trading volume, revenue, and other relevant business metrics.
• Coach and mentor BD team members to improve partner acquisition, negotiation, activation, and performance.
• Establish scalable processes for partner sourcing, onboarding, activation, and ongoing account management.
• Drive a high-performance, results-oriented BD culture.

4. Trading Volume & Revenue Growth

• Develop strategies to consistently increase Futures trading volume and revenue through KOLs, affiliates, communities, professional traders, and other acquisition channels.
• Monitor partner performance and optimize campaigns and incentive structures based on trading results.
• Analyze trading activity and partner contribution to identify opportunities for growth and reactivation.
• Work closely with internal teams to improve conversion from user acquisition → deposit → first trade → sustained trading activity.

5. VIP & High-Value Trader Acquisition

• Leverage existing networks to identify and acquire high-net-worth individuals, professional traders, high-volume traders, and VIP users.
• Develop strategic relationships with high-value trading communities and professional trading networks.
• Support the development of customized partnership and incentive structures for high-volume users and strategic accounts.

6. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Marketing, Operations, Product, and Community teams to execute regional growth initiatives.
• Collaborate with Product and Operations teams to provide market and partner feedback on Futures products, including fees, liquidity, trading experience, UI/UX, and product features.
• Represent the company at relevant AMA sessions, Twitter/X Spaces, industry events, meetups, and other crypto community activities.
• Strengthen the company's brand presence and credibility within the MENA crypto ecosystem.

7. Market & Competitor Intelligence

• Monitor competitor exchanges, Futures products, commission structures, KOL programs, affiliate models, and regional market strategies.
• Identify emerging market trends, trading behaviors, and new partnership opportunities.
• Provide actionable insights and recommendations to senior management based on market developments and partner feedback.

Requirements

• 5+ years of Business Development experience within the cryptocurrency / digital asset industry, preferably with a mid-tier or established centralized exchange (CEX).
• Strong hands-on experience in Futures / derivatives BD and growth is mandatory.
• Proven experience in KOL BD, affiliate acquisition, trading community partnerships, or exchange partnership development.
• Demonstrated track record of driving measurable trading volume, user acquisition, deposits, and/or revenue.
• Previous experience managing and developing a KOL/BD team, including setting KPIs and performance targets.
• Strong understanding of Futures trading, derivatives products, exchange trading mechanisms, and crypto trader behavior.
• Strong existing network of MENA-based KOLs, influencers, affiliates, trading communities, professional traders, and crypto partners.
• Experience designing and managing KPI models, commission structures, rebate programs, and partner incentive systems.
• Strong commercial negotiation and partnership management skills.
• Proven ability to independently develop and execute regional market expansion strategies.
• Strong analytical, strategic, and problem-solving skills with a highly results-oriented mindset.
• Excellent English communication skills. Arabic or other MENA-relevant languages are a strong advantage.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, remote, and highly entrepreneurial environment.

What We're Looking For

This role is best suited for someone who has already led BD/KOL teams within a crypto exchange environment, rather than someone looking to take their first step into leadership.

You should bring:

• Existing MENA crypto/KOL relationships
• Proven Futures trading-volume results
• Experience building and managing BD/KOL teams
• Strong understanding of exchange growth and partnership models
• The ability to build the regional strategy and execute it hands-on
• A strong network and track record that can translate into immediate business results