📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Director, Strategic Partnerships
🔹 Company: Visa
🔹 Location: San Francisco, California, United States
🔹 Job Type: Full-time
🔹 Category: IT Services and IT Consulting
🔹 Date Posted: May 22, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 10+ years
🔹 Remote Status: Hybrid (5-10% travel required)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Strategic account management and growth
- Product solutioning and innovation with partners
- Cross-functional team collaboration and leadership
- Executing growth initiatives and driving successful outcomes
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic mindset, strong business acumen, and the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with key global accounts.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Lead account and relationship management, sales planning, and execution for key global accounts
✅ Identify and pursue partnership growth opportunities that provide step-function value, distribution channels, or new capabilities for Visa
✅ Align cross-functional teams on key initiatives and represent Visa leaders into the account for critical support
✅ Manage product solutioning with partners, drive opportunities to closure, and maintain product enhancement feedback loop
✅ Work with cross-functional teams to ensure partner implementations and existing business lines are growing and meeting mutual expectations
ASSUMPTION: This role involves a high degree of collaboration, influencing, and driving results across various teams and stakeholders.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
Experience: 10+ 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
Required Skills:
- Proven record of creative product solutioning with complex product sets
- Demonstrated track record of planning, managing, and closing complex sales efforts
- Strategic thinking, analytical/problem-solving, and thought leadership
- Teamwork, interpersonal & relationship-building skills, and ability to lead by influence and example
- Proven ability to partner, communicate, and manage/navigate across functions and through multiple disciplines and organizational groups
Preferred Skills:
- 5+ years of business experience in payments or financial services
- Executive presence, strong written and oral communication, including large-group presentations
- Ability to work within a complex and often ambiguous environment
- Proven track record of ability to influence senior management and other relevant parties
ASSUMPTION: Candidates with a strong background in payments or financial services, along with proven experience in strategic partnerships, business development, or product management, are likely to be successful in this role.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $169,100 - $245,400 USD per year (including potential sales incentive payments)
Benefits:
- Medical, Dental, Vision
- 401(k), FSA/HSA
- Life Insurance
- Paid Time Off
- Wellness Program
Working Hours: Varies upon the needs of the department
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate and may vary based on the candidate's experience, skills, and other factors. Visa offers a comprehensive benefits package for this position.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Visa is a global leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories.
Company Size: Visa has 10,001+ employees worldwide, providing ample opportunities for collaboration and growth.
Founded: Visa was founded in 1958 and has since grown into a publicly-traded company with a strong global presence.
Company Description:
- Visa's purpose is to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.
- The company facilitates transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities.
- Visa offers a range of payment products and services, including credit, debit, prepaid, and commercial payments.
Company Specialties:
- Global payments technology
- Digital payments innovation
- Cross-border money movement
- Card networks
Company Website: Visa Careers
ASSUMPTION: Visa's extensive global presence and expertise in digital payments make it an attractive employer for professionals seeking a challenging and impactful role in the financial technology industry.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: This role is at the senior management level, requiring a high degree of strategic thinking, leadership, and decision-making.
Reporting Structure: The Director, Strategic Partnerships reports directly to the Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Partnerships and works closely with various cross-functional teams.
Work Arrangement: This is a hybrid position, with an expectation of days in the office confirmed by the hiring manager.
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential to expand the role's scope and impact based on successful performance
- Opportunities to work on high-visibility projects with global implications
- Chance to develop and refine strategic partnerships and business development skills
ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth potential for the right candidate, with the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on Visa's global business.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Visa's San Francisco office is a modern, collaborative workspace designed to facilitate productivity and innovation.
Office Location(s): 900 Metro Center Blvd, Foster City, California, US
Geographic Context:
- San Francisco is a major tech hub with a vibrant startup ecosystem
- The city offers a diverse range of cultural attractions, dining options, and outdoor activities
- San Francisco has a Mediterranean climate, with mild, wet winters and dry summers
Work Schedule: The work schedule for this role is flexible, with an emphasis on results and meeting project deadlines.
ASSUMPTION: The San Francisco office provides a dynamic and engaging work environment, with ample opportunities for collaboration and professional growth.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Phone or video screen with a member of the HR team
- Behavioral and situational interviews with hiring managers and cross-functional stakeholders
- Final interview with the Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Partnerships
Key Assessment Areas:
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving
- Cross-functional team collaboration and leadership
- Relationship-building and stakeholder management
- Communication and presentation skills
Application Tips:
- Highlight relevant experience in payments, financial services, or strategic partnerships
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to emphasize skills and accomplishments relevant to this role
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions, focusing on your ability to drive results and manage complex projects
ATS Keywords: Strategic Partnerships, Business Development, Product Solutioning, Account Management, Cross-functional Teams, Global Accounts, Visa
ASSUMPTION: Visa's interview process is designed to assess candidates' strategic thinking, leadership, and cultural fit, with a focus on finding the best fit for the organization and the role.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Salesforce or other CRM platforms
- Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, JIRA)
- Data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)
ASSUMPTION: The tools and technologies required for this role are standard for the industry and can be easily adapted by candidates with relevant experience.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Customer-centric
- Inclusive
- Innovative
- Collaborative
- Accountable
Work Style:
- Results-driven
- Collaborative
- Adaptable
- Strategic
- Data-informed
Self-Assessment Questions:
- How do you demonstrate Visa's commitment to being customer-centric in your daily work?
- Can you provide an example of a time when you successfully collaborated with cross-functional teams to achieve a common goal?
- How do you approach strategic planning and execution in a dynamic and often ambiguous environment?
ASSUMPTION: Visa's company culture emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and a customer-centric approach, making it an attractive workplace for professionals seeking a dynamic and engaging environment.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Managing complex, global accounts with diverse needs and expectations
- Balancing multiple priorities and projects simultaneously
- Navigating a large, matrixed organization with multiple stakeholders
- Adapting to a fast-paced, ever-changing industry and business environment
ASSUMPTION: These challenges can be overcome by a strategic, adaptable, and results-driven professional with strong leadership and communication skills.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role is unique in its focus on strategic partnerships and global account management within the payments industry
- Compared to other strategic partnerships roles, this position offers a broader scope and higher level of responsibility
- Career progression may include moving into a vice president or senior vice president role within the strategic partnerships or business development functions
ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of business development, strategic partnerships, and global account management within the payments industry.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and executing a strategic growth plan for a key global account, resulting in a significant increase in revenue and market share
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams to launch a new product or service offering, driving adoption and customer engagement
- Managing a complex, competitive sales effort, including negotiation, closing, and delivery, to achieve strategic objectives
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects illustrate the strategic, cross-functional, and results-driven nature of the Director, Strategic Partnerships role at Visa.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- Can you describe the current strategic priorities for the global accounts team and how this role contributes to their success?
- How does Visa support the professional development and growth of its strategic partnerships team members?
- Can you provide an example of a time when Visa successfully collaborated with a strategic partner to drive innovation and growth?
- How does this role balance the need for strategic planning and execution with the dynamic and often ambiguous nature of the payments industry?
- What is the typical career path for someone in this role, and how has it evolved over time?
ASSUMPTION: These interview questions are designed to provide insight into the role's strategic priorities, growth opportunities, and cultural fit within Visa.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in payments, financial services, or strategic partnerships
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions, focusing on your ability to drive results and manage complex projects
- Research Visa's company culture and values to ensure a strong cultural fit
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application to express your continued interest in the role
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
