Sr. Director, Software Engineering (Fullstack) - job 9 of 24

As the Sr. Director, Software Engineering at Visa, you will drive the design, implementation, and deployment of secure and reliable products. Your role will involve leading diverse multi-disciplinary teams, partnering closely with product management for prioritization, and ensuring engineering excellence across the Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC). You will be key in forging strong partnerships with key stakeholders across technology and business units, all while nurturing a culture of innovation and accountability.

Candidates for the Sr. Director, Software Engineering role at Visa should have a proven track record in leading engineering teams and delivering complex services. Essential qualifications include expertise in managing large-scale technical projects, familiarity with FinTech industry best practices, and a strong ability to motivate and mentor team members. The ability to synthesize business capabilities in line with regulatory requirements is crucial, alongside leadership qualities that align with Visa's Leadership Principles.

In the Sr. Director, Software Engineering role at Visa, fostering an inclusive team culture is vital. You will be responsible for developing and nurturing engineering talent by promoting career growth and retention while encouraging ownership and accountability within your team. As a role model for Visa's Leadership Principles, you will create an environment where innovative thinking and collaboration are valued and encouraged.

The work environment for the Sr. Director, Software Engineering at Visa is hybrid, allowing flexibility between remote and office work. You are expected to collaborate in person 2-3 days a week, utilizing that time for strategic discussions and team-building activities. This dynamic setup helps build relationships and fosters collaboration while maintaining a balance that can lead to increased productivity and engagement.

The strategic impact of the Sr. Director, Software Engineering at Visa is profound, as this role is essential for delivering fit-for-purpose products with accelerated time to market. By guiding engineering efforts in alignment with platform principles and ensuring solutions meet standards of availability and interoperability, the Sr. Director contributes to Visa's mission of shaping the future of secure payments.

When answering this question, highlight your past positions where you led diverse teams. Include specifics about project outcomes, team dynamics, and how your leadership techniques helped drive innovation and operational efficiencies. Make sure to align your experiences with the responsibilities of the Sr. Director role at Visa.

It's essential to demonstrate a systematic approach to prioritizing projects. Discuss methodologies you've used, like Agile or Lean, and how you maintain open communication with stakeholders. Share an example of how you successfully navigated differing priorities to achieve a common goal.

Emphasize your understanding of software quality assurance processes and the importance of the Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC). Discuss specific practices you implement, such as code reviews, automated testing, and user feedback, to ensure high-quality deliverables and continuous improvement.

Share your experiences collaborating with various teams, including products, program management, and architecture. Discuss how you facilitate communication, share insights, and create an environment where diverse perspectives are valued to drive successful project outcomes.

Discuss initiatives you've led or been a part of to promote inclusivity, such as mentorship programs, team-building activities, or diversity training. Share examples of how these initiatives resulted in high team morale and performance.

Explain your process of assessing new technologies' potential impact and how you introduce them to your team. Address how you ensure team members are trained and supported throughout the transition, and how you gauge their feedback and performance during adoption.

Address specific metrics you utilize to assess project success, such as on-time delivery, adherence to budget, code quality, and user satisfaction. Emphasize the importance of continual assessment and how you analyze these metrics to inform future projects.

This is a great opportunity to showcase your problem-solving skills. Discuss scenarios where you've had to negotiate project scope with business needs while keeping engineering limitations in mind—demonstrating how you achieved win-win outcomes.

Be open about difficulties you've faced, whether team-related, project failures, or strategic missteps. Focus on the lessons learned and how they have shaped your leadership style and strategies for future challenges.

Talk about your experience with compliance in software engineering, particularly in the FinTech space. Specify the practices you implement to ensure that products meet regulatory, security, and privacy standards, such as regular audits and incorporating compliance checks into the SSDLC.