Head of Co-Branded Cards

Careem is building the Everything App for the greater Middle East — making it easy to move around, order food and groceries, manage payments, and more. Our purpose is simple: to simplify and improve people’s lives and build an awesome organisation that inspires.
Since 2012, Careem has enabled earnings for over 2.5 million Captains, simplified the lives of more than 70 million customers, and built a platform where the region’s best talent and entrepreneurs thrive. We operate in 70+ cities across 10 countries, from Morocco to Pakistan.

We’re now entering our next chapter — one powered by AI. We’re looking for AI talent: curious problem-solvers who know how to apply AI to build tools, automate workflows, and create real impact. Whether it’s streamlining operations, enhancing customer experience, or reimagining internal systems — we want people who can make Careem work smarter and move faster.

About the Role

We are seeking a strategic and entrepreneurial leader to build, own, and scale Careem’s co-branded card offerings. This is a high-impact role with end-to-end responsibility for a business line that is core to Careem’s Fintech ambitions.
As Head of Co-Branded Cards, you will define the vision, lead execution across commercial, product, and operational workstreams, and manage the overall financial performance of the program. You'll drive strategy and growth at the intersection of Fintech innovation, consumer loyalty, and Everything App engagement.
The role involves close collaboration with internal teams across Product, Engineering, Marketing, Finance, and Legal, as well as leadership of external partnerships with banks, schemes, and third-party providers. From card acquisition and customer engagement to program health and partner strategy, you will shape a flagship product with real impact across the region.

Key Responsibilities

Program Strategy & Execution
Own the end-to-end lifecycle of the co-branded card program — from concept to launch, scale, and continuous optimization.
Act as the P&L owner, accountable for growth, customer experience, financial performance, and partner success.
Serve as the primary interface with external partners (issuing banks, networks, processors, vendors) to shape and deliver on the program roadmap.
Lead internal alignment and execution across cross-functional teams including Product, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, Compliance, Finance, and Support.

Loyalty & Value Proposition
Design and deliver compelling rewards and benefits, integrating Careem’s loyalty engine and lifestyle partnerships into the card experience.
Source, structure, and manage merchant offers that drive engagement and relevance in everyday use cases.
Collaborate closely with Core Product and Loyalty teams to embed redemptions into the Careem Super App experience.

Go-to-Market & Optimization
Lead go-to-market planning across Marketing, Ops, Support, and Analytics to ensure a seamless launch and sustained growth.
Define and monitor KPIs across acquisition, activation, usage, and retention.
Establish post-launch feedback loops and performance reviews to drive continuous product and partnership improvements.

Requirements
● 8–10 years of experience in cards, payments, fintech, or program/project leadership roles.
● Deep understanding of the card ecosystem — issuing, processing, scheme economics, and partner dynamics.
● Proven experience owning a P&L and driving business outcomes in a product-led growth environment.
● Strong track record in launching and scaling financial products, ideally involving rewards or loyalty elements.
● Exceptional project management and cross-functional leadership skills.
● Excellent communication and stakeholder influence, both internally and externally.
● Analytical, commercial, and strategic thinker with a bias for action.
● Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, or related field; MBA is a plus.

Preferred Qualifications
● Experience working in the UAE or broader GCC fintech/payments/tech landscape.
● Familiarity with card issuing platforms and loyalty or membership-based business models.
● Exposure to embedded finance or Super App ecosystems.
● Entrepreneurial mindset — comfortable rolling up sleeves and navigating ambiguity.
● Demonstrated ability to lead and scale complex, multi-market programs.