Director, Software Engineering (Shared Services)

Visa•Foster City, TX

2d•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 We are seeking a Director of Software Engineering who combines strategic leadership with strong technical depth. This role leads multiple engineering teams while maintaining hands-on involvement in architecture decisions, technical reviews, and proof-of-concepts. You will drive engineering excellence, influence technology strategy, and ensure delivery of scalable, secure solutions that impact millions globally.

Requirements

Strategic leadership with a proven ability to manage multiple teams and large-scale programs
Deep technical expertise in modern architectures (microservices, cloud-native), security engineering, and API platforms
Strong understanding of agile methodologies and software development lifecycle principles
Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive organizational change
Experience balancing hands-on technical involvement with leadership responsibilities
Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills
10+ years of relevant work experience and a Bachelors degree, OR 13+ years of relevant work experience
Proven ability to balance strategic leadership with technical depth.
Expertise in modern architectures (microservices, cloud-native), security engineering, and API platforms.
Strong understanding of agile methodologies and software development lifecycle principles.
Strong background in commercial software development within Unix/Linux environments
Deep knowledge of security engineering, IAM, authentication frameworks, and API Gateway development
Proficiency in modern architectures and technologies: Java/J2EE, Containers, Kubernetes, database technologies
Minimum 3 years leading product development and delivery across multiple technologies (Java/J2EE, Spring Boot, React, JavaScript, SQL, REST, test automation frameworks)
Proven ability to hire, develop, and retain high-caliber engineering talent
Demonstrated success driving measurable improvements in engineering efficiency, delivery, and performance metrics
Strong experience partnering with Product leaders and technical product managers to define joint roadmaps and drive prioritization
Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills; capable of forming and advocating independent viewpoints
Exceptional communication and collaboration skills with a focus on win-win outcomes
Deep understanding of agile methodologies and software development lifecycle principles

Nice To Haves

Payments industry experience is a plus
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
Experienced in leveraging GenAI tools and strong understanding of agentic solutions
Ability to champion adoption of emerging technologies to accelerate delivery and improve developer productivity
Payments industry experience is a plus

Responsibilities

Lead and inspire engineering teams, fostering a culture of innovation and accountability
Guide architecture decisions, review critical components, and contribute to proof-of-concepts
Collaborate with Product and Architecture leaders to define technology roadmaps
Establish processes for code quality, automation, and operational excellence
Hire, mentor, and retain top engineering talent
Champion adoption of emerging technologies (AI/ML, GenAI, cloud-native architectures)
Drive measurable improvements in engineering efficiency and system performance