Common Purpose, Uncommon Opportunity. Everyone at Visa works with one goal in mind - making sure that Visa is the best way to pay and be paid, for everyone everywhere. This is our global vision and the common purpose that unites the entire Visa team. As a global payments technology company, tech is at the heart of what we do: Our VisaNet network processes over 13,000 transactions per second for people and businesses around the world, enabling them to use digital currency instead of cash and checks. We are also global advocates for financial inclusion, working with partners around the world to help those who lack access to financial services join the global economy. Visa's sponsorships, including the Olympics and FIFA™ World Cup, celebrate teamwork, diversity, and excellence throughout the world. If you have a passion to make a difference in the lives of people around the world, Visa offers an uncommon opportunity to build a strong, thriving career. Visa is fueled by our team of talented employees who continuously raise the bar on delivering the convenience and security of digital currency to people all over the world. Join our team and find out how Visa is everywhere you want to be.

Reporting directly to the CEMEA Head of Innovation, this individual is a key member of the regional Innovation team serving 92 countries. A key ‘face of the Studio’ for C-suite clients, partners and internal stakeholders, the individual also helps define and execute the operations of the Studio.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND EVANGELISM

• Proactively build and curate content on emerging innovation themes to present to in the studio and various other client forums

  • Actively monitor developments in payments and commerce, specifically within Visa’s innovation focus areas; develop opinions/ideas on their implications for Visa and our clients

  • Build client engagement content (e.g, use case of a new technology in payment), based on desk research and interviews with Visa’s experts, and engagement material across various media formats (e.g., presentation, talking points, demos, videos)

  • Maintain an up to date ‘Content Library’ and ensure quality and format consistency across materials

• Actively evangelize Visa’s innovation vision and priorities within the organization and at key community and industry events

• Educate Visa teams on latest innovations and Visa solutions through memos, frequent brownbags and other ways to engage staff

• Build a vision for how to showcase innovative experiences in the Moscow Studio. Lead innovation immersions with clients in the studio, to showcase the latest (and upcoming) applications of technology in payments. They will also play a key part in refreshing and articulating the Studio’s tour narrative.

INNOVATION PIPELINE & REVENUE MANAGEMENT

• Deliver against value-in-kind revenue targets, established in partnership with the Russia leadership and CEMEA Innovation Leader

• Run the studio pipeline, engagement intake, and value-in-kind contract management: Serve as the key point of contact for the business to request Innovation & Design team projects and all Innovation Studio events

  • Establish a clear point of contact and intake process for anyone requesting Innovation & Design services

  • Work closely with the regional Innovation & Design lead to establish a pipeline strategy & operating model

  • Educate internal stakeholders on the Studio offerings and intake process

  • Ensure that 100% of engagements are taken in through a programmatic process

  • Establish a pipeline review cadence and transparent process for intake and team allocation on projects

  • Help the team achieve VIK (value-in-kind) targets by working with requestors to estimate, assign, and draw down VIK through the contracting and billing process

TEAM AND INNOVATION STUDIO MANAGEMENT

• As a people leader, demonstrate excellent people management skills and aptitude

  • Potentially manage direct reports and indirect reports working on project teams

  • Groom junior talent on the team

  • Establish an inclusive and collaborative culture

  • Make the innovation & design team an employer of choice through a supportive and nurturing leadership style

• Collaborate with CEMEA Innovation Leader to standardize and evolve the Studio’s offerings

• Establish clear reporting and transparency of Innovation Studio and team activities, including:

  • Standardized reporting to product groups

  • Specialized reporting such as monthly / quarterly newsletters to broader audience

  • Annual reporting and ROI measurement

  • Frequent updates to, and engagement with Russia and CEMEA Innovation leadership

  • Find additional ways to evangelize the work of innovation and design teams

CLIENT LEADERSHIP

• Be the face of Visa for clients and partners looking to co-innovate with Visa

• Support Russia solutions and BD teams as an innovation subject matter expert.

• Develop robust, proactive pipeline of tangible collaboration/prototyping projects with clients/partners that will drive c-level sponsorship and engagement

• Build trusted advisor relationships with key clients and partners in the industry\

ENGAGEMENT LEADERSHIP

Structure and support and lead client Discovery and Ideation Sessions:

• Discussing major industry and technology trends and payment innovations
• Understanding client’s needs, pain points and priorities and be able to link trends and innovations directly to client strategy
• Identifying payment innovation opportunities
• Driving positive outcomes and concrete next steps

Co-creations:

• Define and deliver (with team’s support) on Visa Russia’s co-creation agenda and engagements

• Use best in class design thinking and agile methods to Discover, Design, Develop and Deploy new innovations

• Demonstrate and be held accountable for actual client impact, client satisfaction, and implementation results post co-creations.

 Internal Solution Development

• Partner the local solutions team to develop local solutions for the Russian market

PLANNING, REPORTING, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Partner with Marketing & Comms teams to showcase the Visa Russia Innovation story and activities of the Studio and team

  • Build a programmatic marketing / comms plan

  • Lead high-quality campaigns to showcase the Studio and team’s work

• Support the P&L management, financial planning for regional Innovation & Design in partnership with the Head of Innovation CEMEA

  • Play a key role in building annual operating plan, multi year plan, and budget asks for the function 

  • Work with CEMEA Head of Innovation and Finance Business Partner to ensure that revenues and spending is well forecasted and in-line with run rate

  • Help build business models and cases for growth and investment, based on VIK and ROI metrics delivered and forecasted

 FINTECH & VISA EVERYWHERE INITIATVE

• Serve as the ‘face of’ the Visa Everywhere Initiative – an annual startup competition. Provide thought leadership, strategic direction and content, including serving as a judge.

• Work closely with the Russia Marketing and Communications teams to launch and run the initiative

• Engage closely with the Russia FinTech ecosystem

• Approximately 13-20 years commercial experience with at least 8 years in a strategy/innovation consulting or advisory roles

• Proven capabilities in leading design thinking/co-creation engagements with virtual teams that include Managers and Executives at senior levels – communication, presence, thought leadership and gravitas

• Proven experience in managing large & diverse teams; ideally experience managing creative teams of designers and developers

• Substantial client facing experience with the ability to translate client and partner needs into meaningful problem statements, engagements and tangible collaboration/prototyping outcomes

• Experience running customer experience centers focused on helping clients solve real business issues

• Outstanding facilitation skills, ideally with formal training and sprint management experience

• Strong project/program management skills to successfully manage multiple, concurrent work streams

• World-class client-facing skills and proven ability to engage with C-level executives and drive commercial outcomes

• Degree qualified in business and/or design. Post graduate qualifications highly desirable

• Experience evaluating a technology landscape, preferably within payments and ecommerce

• Passion for technology, futurist view and intellectual curiousity

• Marketing, comms and events experience is a plus

• Fluent  Russian & English