Senior Manager, Grant Programs

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 Life at Visa.

What’s it all about

Visa understands that operating a successful company includes driving business growth, delivering strong shareholder returns and expanding digital commerce in support of local economies.

The Social Impact & Sustainability (SIS) team executes on this belief every day, connecting our shared communities within and outside of Visa. We strive to place Visa at the forefront to power the future of commerce for everyone through inclusive financial products, innovative and impactful solutions, and responsible corporate leadership. Our team works to leverage Visa’s assets, business model and global scale to drive business growth and economic growth, with a focus on communities where we do business. We aim to achieve this by building purpose-driven partnerships and delivering programs that have societal and business benefit, with a particular emphasis on supporting the financial success of small and micro businesses (SMBs).

Visa Foundation supports Visa’s corporate purpose to uplift everyone everywhere by enabling financial inclusion for small businesses and communities. Established in 2017, the Visa Foundation now represents nearly USD 500M in assets and supports grantmaking and impact investments globally having reached millions of businesses worldwide through its partners. The organization, which serves as the philanthropic arm of Visa, works with partners to support underserved people and communities.

The Senior Manager, Grant Programs is responsible for supporting Visa Foundation’s grantmaking strategy and implementation. Working with the Senior Director, Grants & Partnerships, this position will contribute to the development of the financial inclusion grantmaking strategy, focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship, and access to capital.

The Senior Manager will proactively source, evaluate, and manage grant partnerships in collaboration with local and regional colleagues. They will be responsible for creating a forward-looking portfolio that integrates market trends, latest innovation in financial inclusion, and drives impact at scale. In addition, they will perform comprehensive portfolio analysis in collaboration with the impact investing team, identifying capital allocation and innovation trends that will advance financial inclusion, future of commerce and money movement across markets.

To be successful in this role, the Senior Manager should be adept at working in matrixed, international organizations and demonstrate a strong track record in partnership development with financial institutions, global foundations, multilateral agencies and impact investors. The preferred candidate should have a passion for impact at scale, strong analytical skills, and a high degree of autonomy in a collaborative, global Foundation. This role reports to the Sr. Director, Global Grants and Partnerships. 

Key Responsibilities

Strategy: 

• Shape a dynamic, global grantmaking strategy that anticipates and leverages the latest trends in artificial intelligence, the future of commerce, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion.
• Monitor market developments and technological advancements to design a forward-looking portfolio that integrates cutting-edge solutions, fosters innovation, and expands access to capital for small businesses.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to ensure the strategy remains relevant, scalable, and impactful, driving transformative change for communities and markets that Visa Foundation serves.

Due Diligence:

• Oversee the full lifecycle of grant due diligence, ensuring rigorous assessment from initial sourcing through evaluation and legal closing.
• Conduct detailed vetting of prospective grantee organizations, reviewing organizational capacity, mission alignment, and financial health, as well as risk screening and compliance checks.
• Lead thorough grant reviews to assess feasibility, impact projections, and potential for scalability, collaborating closely with both internal teams and external partners.

Partnerships and Local Market Support:

• Source, assess, and execute grant partnerships, acting as a driving force in replicating and accelerating innovative financial inclusion solutions across various markets.
• Ensure that grant partnerships are strategically leveraged, enabling local teams to tailor and scale successful models to meet unique market needs.
• Forge strong internal and external partnerships, share best practices, and facilitate cross-market learning to amplify impact.

Portfolio Management: 

• Monitor the grants portfolio performance against defined impact metrics and strategic goals.
• Conduct regular portfolio reviews to assess progress, identify risks, and recommend adjustments to maximize outcomes.
• Prepare quarterly and annual grant reports, ensure compliance with foundation policies, and develop dashboards to visualize key insights and trends. Facilitate post-grant evaluations, collect and analyze data to measure effectiveness and inform future strategy.
• Maintain organized records and foster ongoing communication with grantees to ensure transparency and accountability across all portfolio activities.
• Champion the adoption of digital tools for portfolio tracking and reporting, driving efficiency and enabling real-time decision-making for the grants team.

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

Basic Qualifications:
8 or more years of relevant work experience with a Bachelor Degree or at least 5 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 2 years of work experience with a PhD

Preferred Qualifications:
9 or more years of relevant work experience with a Bachelor Degree or 7 or more relevant years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 3 or more years of experience with a PhD
6 or more years of previous experience in grant making, program related investments and/or venture philanthropy. Graduate degree in finance or economics preferred.
Demonstrated ability to structure, manage, and deliver complex, cross-functional global projects on time and within scope, engaging stakeholders at all organizational levels
Proven track record in developing executive-level presentations and materials under tight deadlines, with clear, persuasive communication skills
Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills, with a history of applying quantitative rigor and attention to detail to strategic business challenges
Experience in payments, fintech, or related industries, with a strong understanding of market dynamics
Experience working in emerging markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia Pacific, and/or Europe and fluency in foreign languages.
Experience in a consulting or investment function is a plus.
Personal presence and confidence in communicating with senior executives and external partners.
Adaptable, fast learner with a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset and a strong bias for action and delivery.

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 138,300.00 to 200,800.00 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.