Director, Data Engineering NA/LAC

Visa is a world leader in payments and technology, with over 259 billion payments transactions flowing safely between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities in more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive while driven by a common purpose – to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

Make an impact with a purpose-driven industry leader. Join us today and experience #LifeatVisa.

With data being the fuel that drives our future - our strategies, policies, and business successes around data will define our future growth prospects. Unlocking the value available through the innovative use of data on behalf of consumers, businesses, and communities is key to our future. With our ongoing commitment to Visa’s Data Values and the responsible use of data, we at Visa have a bold vision to continue to grow and accelerate our data-related businesses and capabilities.

Led by Visa’s first Chief Data Officer, the Global Data Office coordinates high-impact, complex, company-wide projects related to data business strategy, critical investments, policy development, and marketplace execution. Working closely with Visa’s Chief Privacy Officer, the Technology organization, the wider data community, and the full set of Visa’s global lines of business, the Global Data Office is evolving Visa’s data-related work with momentum and enthusiasm. Driven by its commitment to trusted use of data, Visa is seeking enthusiastic leaders who are change-agents and passionate about the future of data around the world.

This position will play a critical role in leading the Data Engineering Center of Excellence and oversee end-to-end data engineering delivery for the North America region, including designing and building large-scale data pipelines, data lakes/warehouses, and streaming data integration. Also, this position will ensure that data ingestion, transformation, and publication processes are efficient, reliable, and aligned with enterprise standards, and champion an “assembly line” model to enable faster time-to-market for data products and solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Data Democratization & Analytics Enablement: Deliver on Visa’s Data & Analytics democratization goals by expanding access to trusted, timely data and self-service analytics tools for internal teams. Lead the development of internal data products, APIs, and BI platforms that put actionable insights in the hands of decision-makers, in support of business lines such as Consumer Payments, Merchant, and others.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as the bridge between the Global Data Office and regional business/technology teams, ensuring North America’s data engineering priorities are aligned with product roadmaps, analytics needs, and regional objectives. Partner closely with Data Science, Analytics, Product Management, and IT security teams to design data solutions that support AI/ML innovation (e.g. feature stores, AI-enabled platforms) and meet emerging business requirements
• Innovation & Emerging Technologies: Stay at the forefront of data engineering and AI/ML technologies. Evaluate and implement new tools or methodologies (such as streaming analytics, containerization, automation/AI in data pipelines, or data lakehouse architectures) that can enhance Visa’s data capabilities. Drive proof-of-concepts and pilot projects for advanced data engineering solutions, and scale successful innovations across the enterprise.
• Operational Excellence: Ensure the reliability, efficiency, and security of Visa’s data infrastructure in North America. Oversee production operations for data pipelines and platforms, instituting best practices for monitoring, alerting, and incident response to achieve high availability and performance. Continuously optimize data processing workflows to reduce duplication, improve resource utilization, and eliminate technical debt in our tooling and tech stack
• Team Development & Management: Manage and mentor a distributed team of data engineers, architects, and managers. Foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and collaboration, emphasizing agile methodologies and continuous improvement. Set clear objectives and Key Results (OKRs) for the team that tie into broader Data Office goals (e.g. cloud migration milestones, data product delivery, quality metrics), and ensure accountability for results.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication: Serve as the North America regional champion for data engineering, regularly communicating status, progress, and insights to executives and stakeholders. Present platform roadmaps, major project updates, and achievements in leadership forums. Provide thought leadership and education to business partners on data engineering initiatives – for example, articulating how our new data platform and governance improvements will fuel growth, innovation, and efficiency for Visa

This is a hybrid position. Expectation of days in the office will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager.

Basic Qualifications:

• 10 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or at least 8 years of work experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters/ MBA/JD/MD) or at least 3 years of work experience with a PhD

Preferred Qualifications:

• 12 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or 8-10 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 6+ years of work experience with a PhD
• 10+ years of work experience in data management, data engineering, and platforms
• 10+ years of work experience in high-profile/high-impact product management
• 10+ year of work experience in Agile software development and technology infrastructure
• Proficient in programming and data engineering: e.g., Python, Java/Scala, and SQL. Hands-on experience with ETL/ELT tools and workflow orchestration (Airflow or similar), as well as stream processing (Kafka/Kinesis). Emphasizes automation, testing, and DevOps practices (CI/CD) to improve reliability and speed of data
• Expertise in designing cloud-based data architectures and scalable pipelines. Skilled with AWS/GCP/Azure ecosystems, big data processing frameworks (Hadoop, Spark), and data storage technologies (e.g., relational, NoSQL, and data lake architectures). Able to architect systems that handle high-volume, real-time data and support AI/ML workloads.
• Strong command of data governance practices, including metadata management, data quality assurance, and access controls. Familiar with implementing federated governance models and ensuring compliance with data privacy/security standards in a decentralized environment. Adept at balancing data democratization with robust security and privacy controls.
• Deep understanding of concepts of working with and profitably utilizing big data in financial institutions.
• Highly adaptive, comfortable working within a complex, and often ambiguous, environment. Equally capable of thriving with changing circumstances
• Ability to rapidly comprehend changes in the business landscape (whether regulatory, competitive, or business-related) and design around the expected impact.
• Exceptional team management and leadership skills that excel in dynamic and global workplaces
• Proven record to drive effective organizational change and culture change.
• Proven record delivering innovation while simultaneously strengthening core operations, product, and solutions
• Ability to make and keep strategic priorities on-track without distraction. Ideally, fluent in Objectives and Key Results (ORK) operations
• Exceptionally skilled at keeping complex issues clear, simple, and user friendly. Ability to successfully lead complex projects and processes with multiple stakeholders in an unstructured and sometimes ambiguous environment.
• High attention to detail and quality with a resound commitment to accountability
• Superior analytical and problem-solving skills, with demonstrated intellectual and analytical rigor.
• Proactive and effective communicator. Experienced at presenting information to senior levels, with ability to facilitate group discussions and debate and proven ability to influence and communicate effectively across geographic and functional lines (whether virtual or in-person). 
• Global, multi-national business experience is strongly preferred.
• Exceptional at quarterly budget and external contractor management, especially to drive outstanding results in budget and on time
• Advanced knowledge of Cloud Compute, Storage, and Engineering Practices
• Advanced project management skills with the use of Project Management software
• Curious and lifelong learner who keeps up to date on emerging trends and technology
• Successful track record of operating cross-functionally, ideally in a federated enterprise design
• Proven ability to work under deadlines and manage multiple projects with evolving requirements
• Team player possessing a strong drive to add value to the business direction
• Ability to influence the organization in order to make strategy happen

Work Hours: Varies upon the needs of the department.

Travel Requirements: This position requires travel 5-10% of the time.

Mental/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 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.

Visa will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable local law, including the requirements of Article 49 of the San Francisco Police Code.

U.S. APPLICANTS ONLY: The estimated salary range for a new hire into this position is 176,400 to 301,200 USD per year, which may include potential sales incentive payments (if applicable). Salary may vary depending on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this position may be eligible for bonus and equity. Visa has a comprehensive benefits package for which this position may be eligible that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401 (k), FSA/HSA, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, and Wellness Program.