Director, North America Executive Office Strategic Initiatives

Visa•San Francisco, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Team background: The North America Executive Office team is the dedicated engine to advance North America & the Regional President’s strategic agenda through operational excellence and client-centric priorities. This is a high-visibility, high-impact position to lead the strategic initiatives arm of the North America Executive Office team, best suited for someone who combines strong analytical rigor and understanding of Visa’s business with flawless, low-ego execution. You will flex between surge initiatives and standing priorities to serve as the Executive Office’s A for PMO and client response. As a One Visa, strategic operator, you will bring structure, clarity and momentum for the regional agenda, without adding unnecessary work for others. This includes independently organizing and analyzing complex inputs, identifying executive ready insights, translating them into clear strategy and action, and driving cross-functional execution. The ideal candidate can quickly lean in to assimilate into new teams and topics, bring order to ambiguity, and advance work into high quality outputs with outcome and stakeholder experience in mind. This role is a launchpad for initiatives leadership. You will work closely across senior North America stakeholders, building a track record of well-orchestrated executional excellence across stakeholders, functions, and disciplines. Key Responsibilities:

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
Strategic Program Management: Proven ability to independently own and drive multiple parallel initiatives of varying scope while maintaining high quality and accuracy
Analytical Problem Solving: Strong capability to organize, analyze, and synthesize complex information, develop insights, and frame clearly for executive audiences
Ramp Up Speed: Quickly ramps onto new topics and teams, adding value early without burdening others. Can swiftly assess ambiguous situations, identify options, weigh tradeoffs, and deliver actionable results
Business Acumen: Strong understanding of Visa business fundamentals and clients so able to quickly grasp and analyze complex issues facing Visa’s business, knows where to go to get an answer/up to speed quickly if unfamiliar with a topic
Execution Under Pressure: Maintains composure, judgment, and attention to detail during high stakes or time sensitive moments
Stakeholder Management & Influence: High EQ and strong people skills, builds trust quickly across functions and levels and influences without on-paper authority
Impact-Focused Execution: Consistently acts with end outcome and stakeholder impact in mind, enabling others to work more effectively and efficiently. Prioritizes solutions that remove obstacles/streamline execution vs. create unnecessary work
Exceptional written and verbal skills, able to synthesize complex information into clear, concise, and executive ready outputs
Confidentiality & Discretion: Handles highly sensitive information with confidentiality and professionalism
Tool Proficiency: Expert in Microsoft Suite, including advanced Excel skills, is required; strong GenAI internal tool usage preferred
Collaborative & Low Ego: Willing to step in where needed, prioritize collective outcomes, and focus on impact over visibility

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

Responsibilities

Strategic Initiative Leadership and Execution.
Balance hands-on execution with strategic vision to apply disciplined program management, ensuring alignment, accountability, and measurable outcomes across:
Surge initiatives: Stepping into to drive critical components, resolve challenges, or manage through key executive priority periods
Standing priorities: Go-to PMO for Executive Office initiatives and operations
Optimization: Identify opportunities to streamline and improve ways of working, including light‑touch reflections following above initiatives
Examples may range from priority client updates, executive office operations, AI acceleration, people and culture, and other initiatives that support North America’s agenda.
Client Readiness & Response:
Maintain cross-functional client call plans, ensuring clear roles, up-to-date information by category, and always-on-readiness
Serve as the Executive Office’s A for analytical analysis, coordinating across teams as needed to deliver clear, executive‑ready insights under tight timelines
During priority moments, you will act as the Executive Office PMO – stepping in quickly and calmly to connect the dots, bring order, and move urgent executive work forward across teams