Director, Strategic Programs and Innovation

Company Description

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.

The Director of Strategic Programs & Initiatives will serve as a strategic partner to the Sr. Director of Marketing Strategy & Innovation, leading the research, benchmarking, and strategic design work that informs Visa's marketing operational strategy. This role is ideal for a strategic thinker who excels at answering complex who, what, and why questions through comprehensive research and stakeholder engagement. Working in lock step with the Sr.

Director of Marketing Strategy & Innovation, this leader will manage strategic work streams for transformational initiatives while maintaining continuous feedback loops with regional and functional stakeholders.

Primary Responsibilities:

Lead Strategic Research & Competitive Intelligence

• Conduct comprehensive research, competitive benchmarking, and market analysis to identify best-in-class practices across AI transformation, operating models, agency ecosystems, learning & development, and organizational culture
• Perform deep stakeholder discovery through interviews, surveys, and workshops to understand challenges, opportunities, and priorities across regions and functions
• Conduct ongoing environmental scanning to identify competitive threats, emerging trends, and strategic opportunities
• Synthesize complex market intelligence into actionable insights and strategic recommendations

Manage Strategic Work streams for Transformational Initiatives

• Lead strategic design and planning for key initiatives across the Five Ps (People, Practices, Processes, Partners, Products)
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to gather inputs, build alignment, and refine strategic recommendations
• Develop strategic frameworks and models that address critical questions about AI integration, operating model design, agency optimization, and organizational culture
• Support development of strategic vision for increasing Marketing's AI Power Users and improving EES scores across multiple dimensions

Develop Executive Communications & Strategic Narratives:

• Translate complex strategic insights into compelling narratives and executive presentations
• Create board-level materials that communicate strategic recommendations and business cases
• Develop stakeholder engagement plans and communication strategies for major initiatives
• Present strategic findings and recommendations to Marketing Leadership Team and cross-functional stakeholders

Monitor Strategic Performance & Maintain Feedback Loops

• Define and monitor strategic KPIs that track progress toward operational excellence
• Conduct post-implementation reviews to capture learnings and inform future strategy
• Maintain continuous feedback loops with regional and functional stakeholders to ensure strategic recommendations reflect real-world implementation insights
• Identify strategic course corrections based on performance data and stakeholder feedback

Partner Across the Dual-Track Operating Model

• Partner with the Manager of Operations Excellence to ensure smooth handoff of strategic initiatives into execution planning and implementation
• Ensure strategic recommendations account for operational realities, resource constraints, and change management considerations
• Collaborate on integrated planning that connects strategic vision with operational delivery

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/…