Sr. Manager, Product and Portfolio Operations - job 6 of 21

The Senior Manager, Product and Portfolio Operations at Visa is accountable for leading change management efforts and program management across Value-Added Services (VAS) priorities. This involves identifying opportunities for product lifecycle improvement, driving strategic initiatives, and developing transformation strategies. The role also requires facilitating communication among various teams, creating training programs, supporting mentorship initiatives, and establishing success metrics to measure the impact of change. It’s about fostering innovation while ensuring alignment with Visa's overarching goals.

To qualify for the Senior Manager, Product and Portfolio Operations role at Visa, candidates should possess over a decade of experience in product management, change leadership, and operations within a consulting firm or equivalent. Ideal candidates will showcase strong skills in consensus building, communication, and collaboration among cross-functional teams. A background in program management and strategic project execution is essential, along with the capacity to guide diverse teams toward common goals.

Critical skills for the Senior Manager, Product and Portfolio Operations at Visa include strong leadership abilities in change management, excellent communication skills to facilitate cross-departmental collaboration, and a deep understanding of product lifecycle processes. The successful candidate should be adept in strategic thinking and possess a knack for identifying and implementing continuous improvement initiatives. An ability to mentor and develop teams while establishing training frameworks is also vital.

The Senior Manager, Product and Portfolio Operations plays a pivotal role in furthering Visa's mission by ensuring seamless delivery of innovative products that enhance client services. By leading strategic initiatives and driving transformation in product lifecycle practices, this position facilitates the alignment of technology with customer needs, ultimately contributing to Visa’s goal of being the best way to pay and be paid globally.

The work environment for the Senior Manager, Product and Portfolio Operations at Visa is dynamic and collaborative, spanning various teams including product, technology, sales, and marketing. As a hybrid position, this role incorporates both remote work and in-office expectations, promoting flexibility while fostering teamwork and innovation. Candidates can expect a culture that values diverse perspectives, encourages professional growth, and focuses on delivering best-in-class products.

When discussing your experience with change management, it's important to provide specific examples where you successfully led initiatives that improved processes or outcomes within product operations. Highlight your approach to identifying challenges, implementing solutions, and measuring results. Additionally, emphasize collaboration with cross-functional teams and how you managed stakeholder expectations.

In a fast-paced environment, prioritization is key. Discuss your method for assessing project impact versus urgency and how you communicate these priorities to your team. Provide examples of how you’ve adapted priorities based on changing business needs and the strategies you employed to balance multiple responsibilities effectively.

Be prepared to outline specific strategies you have employed to enhance product lifecycle practices. Discuss methods like utilizing data-driven analytics to assess performance, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, implementing training programs, and collaborating with teams to identify and adopt best practices. Highlight how these strategies have led to measurable improvements.

Address this question by recounting a specific experience where you successfully led a cross-functional team. Focus on your leadership style, how you facilitated communication among diverse members, and the outcomes achieved as a result of your guidance. Stress the importance of building trust and aligning team goals with broader business objectives.

Discuss your approach to handling resistance to change, focusing on empathy and communication. Share examples of how you have listened to concerns, provided information to alleviate fears, and involved team members in the change process to gain buy-in. Illustrate how you’ve created a supportive environment that embraces change.

When discussing metrics for change management success, focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect both qualitative and quantitative outcomes. Examples include user adoption rates, feedback from training sessions, productivity improvements, and stakeholder engagement levels. Be sure to explain how you analyze these metrics to make informed decisions.

Highlight your communication strategy during product transformation initiatives, including how you tailor your messages to various stakeholders, the channels you use, and how you gather feedback. Emphasize the importance of transparency, regular updates, and creating open forums for discussion to ensure everyone is aligned and informed.

Outline your experience in developing training programs by discussing the specific skills you aimed to enhance and the methodologies you adopted. Provide examples of successful training initiatives you've implemented, the impact they had on team performance, and how you incorporated feedback to continually improve the training content.

Choose a project where you had to think creatively to overcome challenges, outlining the problem, your innovative solutions, and the final results. Discuss how you encouraged a culture of innovation among your team and the processes you established to brainstorm and implement new ideas.

When describing how you mentor team members, highlight your approach to understanding their individual strengths and areas for growth. Discuss your strategies for providing constructive feedback, setting goals, and fostering a supportive environment where they can take on challenges and learn through experience. Share an example that showcases the positive impact of your mentorship.