Director, Fintech & Partner Innovation

  • Full-time
  • Job Family Group: Product Development

Company Description

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.

At Visa, your individuality fits right in. Working here gives you an opportunity to impact the world, invest in your career growth, and be part of an inclusive and diverse workplace. We are a global team of innovators who are helping drive economic growth in even the most remote parts of the world, creatively moving the industry forward, and doing meaningful work that brings financial literacy and digital commerce to millions of unbanked and underserved consumers.

You're an Individual. We're the team for you. Together, let's transform the way the world pays.

Job Description

About the team

Visa’s global Innovation Centers drive Visa’s innovation agenda, and support Visa’s clients and partners in designing and accelerating new digital solutions that advance the future of commerce. 

We are looking for a Director with experience in innovation and startup acceleration to lead the co-creation and delivery of partner-led solutions. The Innovation function is managed out of Singapore for the Asia-Pacific region, with the goal of helping growth-stage fintech startups, digital partners and financial institutions accelerate the development and commercialization of new products / solutions / technology and scale up through leveraging Visa’s network of clients and partners.

The Director will be primarily responsible for managing end-to-end solution delivery from scoping to proof-of-concept with high-potential fintech companies. You’ll work with market-leading, high-potential startups and support their scaling up to define the next generation of payments innovation. For each engagement, you’ll oversee the design and operation of connecting startups with subject matter experts and mentors from Visa and beyond, ultimately driving towards unlocking new growth for the startups and enabling new capabilities at Visa.

Secondary, this role will also lead design-thinking co-creation engagements with other Visa partners including large digital platforms, merchants and financial institutions.

This role reports to the Vice President of Innovation. You will be part of a high-performing team that collaborates regularly with stakeholders (e.g. product owners, account leads, technologists, designers) across the organization. The team believes in curiosity, experimentation, continuous learning, respectful collaboration, inclusion, empathy, resilience and fun!

What a Director, Fintech & Client Innovation does at Visa:

Your responsibilities would include:

  • Manage overall program strategy, budget, implementation and operations
  • Serve as point of contact for Visa partners, internal Visa stakeholders and external program partners
  • Build and maintain a ready pipeline of startups that are mapped against Visa’s strategic priorities 
  • Coordinate recruitment, screening and evaluation of potential startup participants together with regional product, partnerships and commerce teams
  • Develop and deliver in partnership with external agencies a programmatic engagement structure and curriculum that is aligned with best practices and fintech expectations
  • Manage a cross-functional team of Visa SMEs and external experts to provide hands-on mentorship and support for startup participants
  • Lead / support engagements focusing on the design of new solutions in collaboration with fintechs as well as other Visa partners
  • Conduct research to understand end-user needs, ecosystem players’ roles and requirements, revenue potential, regulatory requirements and competitive landscape
  • Lead a cross-functional team of SMEs from Visa and client / partner to design a holistic solution and define new enabling capabilities (e.g. tech, process, commercial) to be built by Visa vs. partners 
  • Develop a compelling business case and development roadmap to get senior stakeholders buy-in and ensure successful hand-off to other Visa teams for the next phase of testing and development  
  • Conduct post-program monitoring and facilitate implementation support for startup alumni
  • Evaluate and refine program structure and approach on a regular basis
  • Report program outcomes and progress against key metrics to key Visa stakeholders
  • Champion the fintech engagement program within Visa and with external parties at public forums

Qualifications

What you will need:

  • 10+ years of work experience, with exposure to Asian markets
  • Educational qualifications of an undergraduate degree or above
  • Experience in the financial services or payments industry
  • Experience managing open innovation programs, accelerator programs, hackathons, and nurturing startup communities
  • Familiarity with the fintech scene in Singapore and across the Asia-Pacific region
  • Knowledge of the corporate innovation landscape in Singapore and across the Asia-Pacific region – know key players, competitors, strategic accounts, trends and opportunities
  • Experience forming partnerships with startups and/or large corporates
  • Strong ability to lead cross-functional teams and senior-level stakeholder management
  • Ability to lead a small team and manage a program end-to-end – project/program management, client-facing experience, event planning experience
  • Experience in using venture-building methodologies (e.g. Design Thinking, Agile, Lean)
  • Detailed-oriented, organized, dependable and strong in operations, events and project management
  • Highly adaptable, quick learner, self-starter with a structured mindset to approaching problem solving and meeting deadlines
  • Skilled at workshop facilitation, public speaking and communications

What will also help:

  • Experience in (corporate) venture capital or angel investing
  • Experience in entrepreneurship as a founder or early hire
  • Experience in startup mentorship or advisory, or working in a startup environment
  • Experience in innovation consulting or a corporate innovation unit is a plus
  • Singapore residents and work pass holders preferred
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