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.

The global Product Organization delivers the holistic product strategy for Visa and accelerates the seamless delivery of our products into markets. We are at the core of Visa’s overall vision to be the best way to pay and be paid for everyone, everywhere. We are fueled by a diverse team of talented team-members who continuously raise the bar on delivering best-in-class products and services to people all over the world.

Our business in Sub-Saharan Africa includes more than 45 markets of the most exciting economies in Africa, and include our offices in Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lagos, Abidjan, Accra and Kigali. As part of the Product team in SSA, you will assist in designing and implementing the go-to-market strategy for product sales and deployment at Visa. Your role may include aspects of consultative client engagement, product strategy, execution, and analytics to craft solutions to meet customer needs. You will also be working with a team that supports technical conversations and deployment with external partners, including advising on how they can work with Visa to build custom solutions that utilize their strengths to enhance Visa’s solution bundles.

JOB DESCRIPTION 

About the role

This role is a critical role in the business development (BD) team in Johannesburg, South Africa. The successful applicant will be responsible for business leadership of a key client through executive engagement, strategic account management and sales disciplines. Your extensive knowledge of payments and financial services combined with a passion for digital innovations, strong communication and influencing skills will ensure significant revenue and profitability growth for Visa and our client. 
 
Key Responsibilities

• Be the “voice of the client” by interpreting the client’s business plans and strategic intent and communicating that within Visa. Ability to connect Visa’s offerings and solutions to enable the client’s strategic priorities.

• The ability to provide thought leadership to the client across the payments value chain.

• Responsible for the management and implementation of the partnership contract obligations

• Delivery of client plan objectives with specific client product, service revenue and volume targets, including forecasting.

• Responsible for achieving or exceeding client satisfaction net promoter scores.

• Implementation of the client annual business plan, achieved through leading the Account Team and other internal stakeholders to provide the client with Visa 360.

• Ability to identify business opportunities, revenue generating ideas and utilization of digital capabilities to grow our business with the client.

• Lead the annual planning process with the client and Visa key stakeholders.

• Lead the delivery of projects which ensure profitable business for Visa and the client.

• Responsible for the client executive engagement model to establish and maintain positive and constructive relationships with key client contacts.

• Facilitate and direct internal Visa support areas in response to specific client requests and ensure the delivery of risk, marketing, product, operations, advisory and innovation support.

• Co-ordinate and present regular business and industry updates to the client delivering thought leadership and global best practices.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• 12+ years business experience with related sales and management experience in the payments industry or similar experience in consulting

• Deep knowledge of payment products

• Minimum of Bachelor’s degree education, post-graduate qualification highly advantageous

• Results oriented individual – gets results that have a clear, positive impact on business performance

• Excellent verbal, analytical and written communications skills with the ability to establish effective relationships with all levels of including executive management

• Demonstrated experience of constructing strategic account plans and successfully executing against them with a collaboration mind-set

• Commercial acumen and astuteness. A strong understanding of the client’s and Visa’s P&L.

• Excellent negotiation skills, proven track record of successfully pitching for new business

• Self-starter with exemplary organizational and issue resolution management skills

• Significant stakeholder management experience with a demonstrated exceptional ability to manage and grow cross functional relationships

  The following will be advantageous:

• Digital curiosity; staying current and up to date with the latest innovation and digital trends 

• Champion bold ideas and new ways of doing things

• Consistently search for innovative, more efficient ways to work and make incremental improvements to existing processes or ways of doing business 

• Role model Visa’s Leadership Principles – We Lead by Example, We Communicate Openly, We Enable and Inspire, We Excel with Partners, We Act Decisively, We Collaborate 

• Actively promote an environment of inclusion and diversity

• Ability to deal with ambiguous situations when making decisions or operating in high pressure, time bound situations 

• Adapt and recognize the appropriate mix of qualitative and quantitative input required to make an informed decision, particularly when prompt action is required

• Demonstrate energy and positive response when tackling challenging problems and view complicated tasks as engaging or motivating