Data Transformation Director

Visa•Washington, DC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Visa is a world leader in payments technology, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories, dedicated to uplifting everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid. At Visa, you'll have the opportunity to create impact at scale — tackling meaningful challenges, growing your skills and seeing your contributions impact lives around the world. Join Visa and do work that matters — to you, to your community, and to the world. Progress starts with you. The Global Data Office: With data being the fuel that drives our future - our strategies, policies, and business successes around data will define our future growth prospects. Unlocking the value available through the innovative use of data on behalf of consumers, businesses, and communities is key to our future. With our ongoing commitment to Visa’s Data Values and the responsible use of data, we at Visa have a bold vision to continue to grow and accelerate our data-related businesses and capabilities. Led by Visa’s Chief Data Officer, the Global Data Office coordinates high-impact, complex, company-wide projects related to data business strategy, critical investments, policy development, and marketplace execution. Working closely with Visa’s Chief Privacy Officer, the Technology organization, the wider data community, and the full set of Visa’s global lines of business, the Global Data Office is evolving Visa’s data-related work with momentum and enthusiasm. Driven by its commitment to trusted use of data, Visa is seeking enthusiastic leaders who are change-agents and passionate about the future of data around the world. Job Description: This role leads end-to-end data transformation initiatives, overseeing project and agile team delivery across planning, execution, budgeting, risk management, and communications. It drives scaled agile practices, executive reporting through MBRs and QBRs, and strong program operations, including audit readiness, budget and vendor management, and cross-team coordination. The role also focuses on building team capabilities through training and upskilling, while advancing data and AI enablement to improve processes and foster innovation. This role also partners closely with business and technology teams to deliver solutions within an Agile environment, providing strong business analysis, process improvement, and change leadership. It operates with a high level of autonomy in complex, evolving settings, offering thought leadership and actionable recommendations to optimize operations, resources, and capacity. The role defines and executes plans, manages multiple concurrent initiatives, resolves delivery conflicts, and supports technology teams through design, quality assurance, and user acceptance testing. It also continuously evaluates product capabilities and helps shape product roadmap and strategy to ensure successful outcomes.

Requirements

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. Masters/ MBA/JD/MD) or at least 3 years of work experience with a PhD
Experience in directly relevant program/project management roles in technology portfolio and program management, business analysis, planning and operations, and/or related functions.
Experience at a large, leading technology, payments, and/or financial services company.
Experience as a scrum master leading teams in agile software development
demonstrated ability to plan, execute and deliver projects on time and demonstrate the ability to succinctly communicate any project issues, risks to an executive audience.
Strong process orientation and demonstrated ability to define and document new or improved portfolio and program management processes, templates and tools, and create a wide variety of reporting mechanisms for leadership, stakeholders, and team members.
Advanced Knowledge of Agile techniques such as: User Stories, Continuous Integration, TDD, Continuous Delivery, Pairing, Automated Testing.
Proficient in at least one agile project management tool: Rally, Jira, Version One, etc.
Excellent verbal communication, presentation, collaboration and teamwork skills with demonstrated ability to gain trust, secure buy-in and influence change at all levels. An ability to influence without direct authority, as well as demonstrate an appropriate level of assertiveness, is critical.
High level of attention to detail, including the ability to assess, and synthesize large amounts of content and data related to program status, issues, risks, dependencies, and schedules and distill it in crisp, clear language appropriate for a variety of audiences.
Demonstrated understanding of process improvement programs and processes, and experience driving them successfully within technology organizations highly preferred.

Nice To Haves

12 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or 8-10 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 6+ years of work experience with a PhD
Project Management certification preferred including at least 1 of the following: PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP®), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Scaled Agile Framework Program Consultant (SAFe SPC)

Responsibilities

Data Transformation - Accountable for the end-to-end planning and execution of one or more projects and/or Agile teams. Lead and negotiate, scope, schedule, budget, risks, deployments and communications for projects and initiatives.
Scaled Agile PMO – Lead the Data Transformation Agile ceremonies - sprint planning, backlog grooming, daily stand-up meetings, reviews/demos, retrospectives, and other scrum ceremonies Develop metrics and reports to help the team understand its Program health and progress to set goals
MBR/QBR Management: Lead the coordination of Monthly Business Reviews (MBRs) and Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with GDO and key business and technology stakeholders. This includes owning and/or developing standardized MBR/QBR templates and visual dashboards to present team performance, project updates, and metrics in a clear, consistent format for executive-level discussions.
Program Management & Operations: Oversee key program management activities and day-to-day business operations for the team. This entails coordination of effective prioritization of projects and resources, proactive risk and issue tracking, coordination of team workload and capacity, and implementation of streamlined processes to keep initiatives on track. Ensure that internal workflows and cross-team collaborations run smoothly, supporting the team’s overall productivity and operational excellence.
Audit & Compliance Liaison: Coordinate the team’s preparation for audits and compliance reviews. Act as the primary liaison with teams Visa’s Risk Management and GDO members coordinating engagement with Internal Audit teams, organizing required documentation, review meetings, and follow-up actions. Coordinate activities to ensure that the team meets all audit requirements and that any findings are promptly addressed to uphold compliance standards.
Budget & Vendor Management: Manage the team’s budgeting and procurement operations. Track and report on the team’s financial spend (e.g., through monthly GDO spend review meetings) and oversee vendor-related processes such as contract management and raising purchase orders. Ensure that all projects and vendor engagements are executed within the approved budget and in accordance with Visa procurement policies.
Team Training & Upskilling: Drive ongoing training and development initiatives to continuously elevate the team’s skills and capabilities. Identify skill gaps relevant for most members of the team which might require centralized training, and organize targeted training sessions (for example, data tools training or storytelling workshops) and upskilling programs. Champion a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing – e.g., by facilitating team workshops, JIRA onboarding, or “Golden Narrative” best-practice sessions – to improve the team’s performance and adaptability.
Data & AI Enablement Initiatives: Lead the team’s engagement in GDO’s data enablement and AI adoption programs. Identify opportunities to leverage data analytics and AI tools to improve processes (such as piloting conversational BI or automating routine tasks) and encourage innovation.