As the world's leader in digital payments technology, Visa's mission is to connect the world through the most creative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company's dedication to innovation drives the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and fuels the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce.

At Visa, your individuality fits right in. Working here gives you an opportunity to impact the world, invest in your career growth, and be part of an inclusive and diverse workplace. We are a global team of disruptors, trailblazers, innovators and risk-takers who are helping drive economic growth in even the most remote parts of the world, creatively moving the industry forward, and doing meaningful work that brings financial literacy and digital commerce to millions of unbanked and underserved consumers.

You're an Individual. We're the team for you. Together, let's transform the way the world pays.

The Senior Director of North America Product Innovation will be part of the team that helps our clients win in a competitive marketplace by making commerce solutions that are smarter, faster, and safer for their customers. The innovation center is part of a global innovation network that evangelizes Visa’s global point of view on the future of commerce, designs best in class customer-centric experiences, and develops new product solutions to drive industry innovation. We host clients from around the globe and across industries—from financial institutions and merchants to technology partners and government officials—immersing them in customer insights and emerging global trends. The team collaborates with partners to discover, define, and design high-potential new products and services that are market tested and ready for scaled commercialization.  We focus on high-potential business opportunities that can be piloted, have a clearly articulated end user impact, and can accelerate growth for Visa and our eco-system partners.  As part of a multi-disciplinary team made up of business, design and development, you will blur the lines between business strategy and creativity, helping to design and develop new solutions that are desirable for end-users as well as feasible and financially sustainable for the organization. Projects are derived based on forces shaping new commerce experiences. The successful candidate for this role will be responsible for working across functions (e.g., design, technology, products, etc.) for Visa’s client merchants, issuers, end consumers and partners.  This role reports to the Head of North America Innovation.

The Senior Director will be responsible for leading multiple human centered design projects (from inception through testing) initiated by client needs, market opportunity and/or future signals.   This person will work with Visa’s clients to create the future of payments, commerce, banking and technology. This role is a hybrid of payment innovation enthusiast, human centered design driven product manager and client engagement lead.  It requires the person to help define and execute a holistic approach to product design that begins with the customer and rapidly iterates solutions to deliver customer experiences that are simple, powerful, and exceptional.  In addition, he/she will lead teams that bring a structured approach to applied innovation and have the ability to communicate highly complex information to both a technical and non-technical audiences.

The team believes in curiosity, creative confidence, experimentation through making, continuous learning, respectful collaboration, inclusion, empathy, resiliency and fun!  Our team of product managers, designers, engineers, strategists, payment enthusiasts, and thought leaders are passionate champions for customer experience.  Lastly, the person should be a “SWAN” – someone who is smart, works hard, ambitious and nice! 

Essential Functions:

• Recommend innovation opportunities for incumbents, fintechs and new entrants by identifying the white space, challenges and gaps in the current payment ecosystem

• Lead partners and interdisciplinary teams of product, design, engineering and payment ecosystem partners in the development of applied innovations, using a digital-first mindset and the contemporary product management techniques of digital native companies

• Work with Visa clients to understand their business opportunities and challenges and then develop innovation proposals for how to address these through human centered design methodologies, agile development, payment industry expertise and future proofing.

• Lead multiple innovation client engagements and/or new product development efforts at the same time. Projects could vary based on user, segment, industry, problem/opportunity defined and/or payments ecosystem partner

• Connect user centric approach with commercial viability including approaching innovation projects to ensure desirable, viable, feasible and impactful outcomes are achieved

• Distill business, customer, and partner needs and constraints into digestible components for the design and development teams

• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of Visa’s capabilities and think holistically about the design of a new offering and the implications related to both the customer’s experience as well as the organization’s ability to implement and scale. 

• Craft presentations in a storytelling narrative that inspires and engages the audience to understand and appreciate the innovation approach, consumer insights and how the recommendation fits into a company’s overall strategy and business model

• Explore new concepts, prototyping (low and high) and testing through interacting, interviewing and iterating with people

• Develop and lead product demos to inspire and educate partners, banks, sellers, governments, processors, technology partners and people. Can speak to both technical and non-technical aspects of the customer experience and solution.

• Excel with partners and stakeholders by identifying the appropriate cross functional teams, collaborations and handoffs

• Energize and improve the status quo using creativity and intelligent, calculated risks to deliver new products and processes that surpass clients’ expectations and improve Visa’s competitive differentiation.

• Recruit and retain talent, provide coaching/mentorship and create a diverse and inclusive environment

Basic Qualifications:

• 12 years of work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree; 10 years of work experience with an Advanced degree (e.g. Masters/MBA/JD/MD); or a minimum of 5 years of work experience with a PhD

   

Preferred Qualifications:

• 15-18 years of experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or 12 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD or PhD)

• 10+ years payments industry/fintechs/digital tech experience or similar relevant experience

• 10+ years product design/development experience, with a strong focus on innovative product development and exposure to the full product development lifecycle of discovery, design, development and launch

• 3-5 years of strategy or innovation consulting experience a plus

• Analytical thinker, creatively confident, team oriented, collaborative, diplomatic, and flexible, with excellent presentation skills, including strong oral and writing capabilities

• Proven ability to work on complex and often ambiguous problems, to drive results

• A deep understanding of the payment industry ecosystem, trends and innovations

• Resilient in navigating through ambiguity and translating the theoretical to applicable

• Must have a growth mindset that embraces creativity, optimism, ambiguity and failing-fast 

Work Hours:

Incumbent must make themselves available during core business hours. May require occasional meetings outside of core business hours to connect with global partners and clients.

Travel Requirements:

This position requires travel for work 10% of the time (when travel restrictions are not in place)

Physical Requirements:

This position will be performed in an office setting.  The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, frequently operate standard office equipment, such as telephones and computers.

Visa will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.