Lead Technical Program Manager

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.

Visa’s Corporate IT (CIT) organization is made up of several teams that all work towards the same goal; to build, operate, and maintain the IT systems and infrastructure necessary to enable a highly connected and collaborative workforce that helps power Visa’s business. With our mission in mind, we work to ensure the world is connected through the most advanced and innovative digital payment network that enables individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive.

We prioritize delightful user experiences. We do not take orders, rather, we build deep partnerships with our business partners and champion proactive new ways technology can advance our business into the future.

The CIT Digital Enablement Solutions (DES) team is seeking a Director focusing on People Technology, Corporate Applications, and GenAI programs. This role requires strong business acumen, technical competency, and the ability to bridge technology and business needs through effective project and program management.

Essential Functions:

• Ensure the effective application of project management methodologies and best practices.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders to ensure alignment of project and program objectives with business goals.
• Set clear expectations with business partners to provide transparency into project initiation activities and manage day-to-day interaction during project execution and delivery.
• Work with business and technology subject matter experts to assess requirements, define scope, create estimates, and produce Project Charters and other documentation needed for funding approvals.
• Oversee project planning and scheduling, budget management, estimating, risk identification, and change management.
• Proactively identify, manage, and mitigate project risks and find ways to accomplish project goals in dynamic business and technical environments.
• Provide high-quality customer service and communicate project status (timelines, progress, and challenges) to technology and business stakeholders regularly.
• Achieve project goals by engaging effectively with stakeholders, including enterprise architects and strategists, technical subject matter experts, business partners, Visa senior management, technology vendors, financial institutions, and strategic partners.
• Manage project budgets effectively by ensuring forecasts and actual charges are in line with approved bids and project costs are controlled.
• Ensure that all projects comply with Visa's Project Management Methodology and Key Controls.
• Keep project status updated in project management and workflow tools and maintain meticulous records (e.g., project financials, schedule, issues, risks, change control decisions).
• Accountable for the end-to-end planning and execution of one or more projects or agile teams. Lead and negotiate scope, schedule, budget, risks, deployments, and communications for projects and initiatives.
• Ask thoughtful questions to help our Customers, Product Owners, and Product Managers maximize ROI and meet objectives.
• Work with Product Owners to promote and contribute to the improvement of the product backlog.
• Facilitate sprint planning, backlog refinement, daily stand-up meetings, reviews, demos, retrospectives, and other scrum ceremonies.
• Shield the team from outside distractions and interferences. Track and remove impediments for the team.
• Facilitate discussion and conflict resolution.
• Develop metrics and reports to help the team understand its health and progress and to set goals.
• Influence change at all levels to increase team and organization performance at a sustainable pace.

Additional information:

This is a hybrid position. Hybrid employees can alternate time between both remote and office. Employees in hybrid roles are expected to work from the office 2-3 set days a week (determined by leadership/site), with a guidepost of being in the office 50% or more of the time based on business needs.

Work Hours: Incumbent must make themselves available occasionally to support teams in our European and Asia Pacific offices.

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., Master's/MBA/JD/MD), or at least 3 years of work  experience with a PhD.

Preferred Qualifications

• 12 or more years of experience with a Bachelor’s Degree; 8-10 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g., Master's, MBA, JD, MD); 6+ years of experience with a PhD.
• 5 years of experience as a SCRUM Master, Project Leader, or Program Manager working with technical teams developing enterprise-class solutions.
• PMP, PRINCE2, CSM, or PMI-ACP certification is highly preferred.
• Strong process orientation and solid understanding of project management techniques, methodologies, and best practices.
• High degree of business acumen and technical competency.
• Demonstrated organizational, planning, and analytical skills, including project scheduling, budget management, estimating, risk identification, and change management.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively communicate technical and business issues and solutions across multiple organizational levels.
• Strong leadership qualities and organizational skills, with the ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities, assignments, and roles.
• Independent judgment and mature decision-making skills to handle technology projects that often have enterprise-wide scope and significant cost and time-to-market impacts.
• Ability to work independently while seamlessly integrating activities and collaborating effectively within a program team and across other organizations.
• Ability to influence without direct authority to achieve necessary goals.
• Solid analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically.
• Experience in working with agile lifecycle and tracking and process management tools (e.g., JIRA, JIRA Align, Clarity).
• Experience with Corporate Applications, People Technology, or GenAI is a plus.

Work Hours: Varies upon the needs of the department. Incumbent must make themselves available occasionally to support teams in our European and Asia Pacific offices.

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 160,600.00 to 232,900.00 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.