Visa—Senior Director, Head of Program Management, VCA-X (Program/Portfolio Management and Consulting)

Job description

Description: About Us Visa is a world leader in payments technology, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories, dedicated to uplifting everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid. At Visa, you'll have the opportunity to create impact at scale — tackling meaningful challenges, growing your skills and seeing your contributions impact lives around the world. Join Visa and do work that matters – to you, to your community, and to the world. Progress starts with you. Job Description Team Summary Visa Consulting and Analytics (VCA) is the consulting arm of Visa, and drives tangible, impactful results for clients. Drawing on our expertise in consulting, data analytics, technology, payments and economics, VCA solves the most strategic problems for our clients. VCA's core client segments include issuers, acquirers, merchants, fintech's, payment enablers and governments. VCA-X is VCA's global delivery capability, designed to scale high-value solutions across Regions through multidisciplinary teams, common delivery standards, AI-enabled assets, and continuous learning from delivery. Working in partnership with Regional teams and Practice Areas, VCA-X enables consistent, efficient, and scalable delivery while maintaining client and market relevance. Program Management is a core pillar of the VCA-X operating model. It provides the integrated planning, orchestration, and delivery management required to scale delivery across multiple use cases, teams, and geographies. The role operates as one of three core delivery leadership pillars within VCA-X, alongside Specialist & Consulting Delivery and Data & Analytics Delivery. It will form part of the VCA-X Leadership Team, and report directly to the Head of VCA-X. The Senior Director, Program Management, VCA-X will build and lead the integrated delivery engine that enables VCA-X to operate and scale globally. This leader will establish the operating disciplines, planning processes, governance mechanisms, and delivery-management practices required to support VCA-X. Working closely with Regional leaders, Practice Areas, AI Build Team and VCA-X delivery teams, the Senior Director will translate approved opportunities into executable delivery plans, orchestrate capacity and mobilization, and ensure delivery commitments are realistic, transparent, and achievable. Core responsibilities of the role include: Delivery Engine & Operating Model - Establish and continuously improve the delivery lifecycle, governance mechanisms, decision rights, and operating disciplines required to support VCA-X at scale. - Translate the VCA-X operating model into practical ways of working across Regions, Practice Areas, and delivery teams. - Drive continuous improvement through operational learning, performance data, and delivery insights. Portfolio Planning & Delivery Orchestration - Maintain an integrated view of opportunities, commitments, resource requirements, and capacity constraints. - Support prioritization and investment decisions by providing visibility into delivery feasibility, trade-offs, and resource implications. - Translate approved work into executable portfolio, mobilization, and delivery plans. - Orchestrate integrated capacity planning and staffing coordination across Specialist, Consulting, Analytics, and Engineering teams. Delivery Performance & Risk Management - Monitor portfolio and engagement health, identifying risks, constraints, and delivery challenges early. - Coordinate resolution of issues requiring alignment across teams, functions, or geographies. - Establish performance measures and management routines that improve predictability, throughput, and scalability. - Drive improvements that reduce delivery friction and improve operational efficiency. Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships - Build strong partnerships with Regional VCA leadership, Practice Areas, AI Build Team (PQL) and other stakeholders. - Provide leadership with clear visibility into commitments, constraints, decisions, and required interventions. - Establish and manage a portfolio of external delivery and specialist partners that augment VCA-X capacity, accelerate capability development, and support efficient scaling across Regions and use cases. - Foster alignment across a highly matrixed global organization. Team & Organizational Leadership - Build, develop, and lead a high-performing Program Management organization. - Establish career paths, capabilities, and leadership expectations for program management professionals. - Contribute to the overall strategy, culture, and success of the VCA-X leadership team. Why this is important to Visa Scaling VCA-X is central to VCA's strategy for expanding delivery capacity, accelerating execution, and creating greater impact for clients globally. This role is responsible for building the delivery engine that enables VCA-X to scale effectively. By creating transparency, predictability, and operational discipline across the portfolio, the Senior Director will help ensure that VCA-X can deliver high-quality outcomes consistently while supporting growth across Regions and use cases. Visa requires at least 3 days in office, expectations of these days will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager. Qualifications Basic Qualifications: - 18 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or at least 15 years of work experience with an Advanced degree (e.g. Masters/MBA) Preferred Qualifications: - 18 or more years of experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or 15 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA) What you will need: - 18+ years of experience in program management, consulting operations, professional-services delivery, transformation, or related fields. - Master's degree or equivalent advanced qualification in a quantitative, technical, or business discipline. - Demonstrated success building and operating delivery organizations in complex, matrixed, global environments. - Experience managing large portfolios involving multiple stakeholders, disciplines, geographies, and competing priorities. - Strong understanding of portfolio management, delivery governance, resource planning, and operational performance management. - Proven ability to translate strategic priorities into executable operating plans. - Strong commercial, financial, and analytical skills. - Executive presence and the ability to influence senior stakeholders without direct authority. - Track record of developing leaders and building high-performing teams through periods of growth and change. - What will also help: - Experience building new delivery organizations, shared services, or centers of excellence. - Experience operating in consulting, managed services, or global delivery environments. - Familiarity with AI-enabled delivery models, digital transformation, or large-scale operational change initiatives. - Knowledge of payments, financial services, or adjacent industries. - Experience building new capabilities, operating models, or delivery organizations from the ground up. - Ability to operate effectively across cultures, organizational boundaries, and time zones. - Ability to work in different time zones Visa is an EEO Employer Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.