Head of F&B Partnerships

Head of Food & Beverage (F&B) Partnerships

Reporting Line

• Reports to: Chief of Staff

• Works closely with: Group CEO, Product, Operations, Growth, and Technology teams

• Leads: F&B partnerships strategy, onboarding, and account management

Purpose of the Role

The Head of F&B Partnerships will lead Hala’s strategy and execution for building, growing, and managing strategic relationships across the Food & Beverage sector. This role is pivotal to establishing Hala’s footprint in restaurants, cafes, and hospitality partners by embedding Hala’s payment and fintech solutions—including Pay-at-Table and digital ordering—into the heart of customer experiences. The role will focus on driving merchant acquisition, strengthening key relationships, and unlocking new revenue streams.

Key Responsibilities

1. F&B Market Strategy & Growth

• Develop and execute a comprehensive partnership strategy across the F&B industry in KSA and the GCC.

• Identify and prioritize high-potential brands and chains in the casual dining, quick-service, and fine dining segments.

• Define revenue targets, partner KPIs, and long-term growth metrics.

• Propose scalable monetization models including transaction-based pricing, SaaS-style subscriptions, and value-added services.

2. Merchant Acquisition & Relationship Management

• Lead sourcing, outreach, and onboarding of restaurant and hospitality partners.

• Build strong executive-level relationships with F&B operators, franchise groups, and aggregators.

• Negotiate and close commercial agreements that drive long-term value for both Hala and its partners.

• Own the partner lifecycle from acquisition to retention and upsell.

3. Cross-Functional Execution

• Collaborate with Product and Technology teams to ensure seamless integrations with POS, ordering, and payment systems.

• Work with Operations to streamline onboarding, training, and account setup.

• Support Marketing in building joint campaigns, case studies, and partner success stories.

• Ensure feedback from partners is captured and translated into product and service improvements.

4. Market Intelligence & Innovation

• Stay ahead of F&B industry trends and competitor activity.

• Explore opportunities for product co-creation or new market segments (e.g., ghost kitchens, catering, food halls).

• Represent Hala at relevant industry events and forums.

Qualifications & Experience

• 7-10 years of experience in partnerships, business development, or commercial leadership roles—preferably in F&B, payments, or tech

• Strong network in the F&B and hospitality ecosystem across KSA and the GCC

• Proven track record of building and scaling B2B partnerships with enterprise or mid-market clients

• Strong commercial, contractual, and negotiation expertise

• Experience working with payment platforms, POS providers, or tech vendors in the restaurant space is a plus

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or relevant master’s degree is a plus

• Fluency in English required; Arabic strongly preferred