Director -Visa Direct Sales Executive (Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire)

Visa is a world leader in payments and technology, with over 259 billion payments transactions flowing safely between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities in more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive while driven by a common purpose – to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

Make an impact with a purpose-driven industry leader. Join us today and experience Life at Visa.

Company Description

Visa Inc. is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories, enabling them to use digital currency instead of cash and checks.

Visa does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations enable its bank customers to offer consumers choices: Pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. From the world's major cities to remote areas without banks, people are increasingly relying on digital currency along with mobile technology to use their money anytime, make purchases online, transfer funds and access basic financial services. All of which makes their lives easier and helps grow economies.

Behind the Visa brand are our talented employees who continuously raise the bar with innovative solutions and products that deliver the convenience and security of digital currency to more people all over the world.

Job Description and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for Visa Direct sales and business development efforts in West Central Africa (UEMOA & CEMAC).

Responsibilities will include sizing the opportunity, developing the push payment strategy in line with Cluster’s business objectives, identifying use cases, and engaging internal and external stakeholders to deploy Visa Direct solutions. The key focus is on product and platform development, from drafting business requirements to quality assurance and project management/coordination with multiple internal teams. These new solutions must be deployed considering the evolving market, client, and consumer needs, aiming to drive significant future market growth for Visa in emerging markets.

The role requires a unique blend of sales, high-level solutioning and commercialization skills, along with an intimate understanding of payments, mobile technology, consumer behavior, and Visa’s business. The role will work cross-functionally with other teams in the markets and coordinate the product roadmap and learnings from the wider regional Visa Direct teams.

Solution Development and Deployment: Be a thought leader and influencer in developing and deploying the solution in the market. Manage the full cycle of Visa Direct solutions deployment, including articulating the solution's value proposition for stakeholders, mapping the value chain, working on commercials and solution deployment, testing plans with key partners, and instituting program management for effective deployment and tracking.

Go-to-market Plans: Lead in defining market plans for Visa Direct, focusing on target markets and solutions. Success requires seamless execution based on carefully designed market plans.

Business Analysis and Project Management: Lead product-related project tasks and associated deadlines to ensure they are met. New solution rollout involves complexities with multiple stakeholders and tight deadlines.

Product and Platform Design: Recommend and develop product and platform design improvements relevant to the Cluster. As a subject matter expert, develop knowledge on new solutions, customize them for local markets, and create industry best practices for local teams worldwide. Translate specific market needs into the global platform development roadmap.

Partner Management and Building Local Accelerator Partners: Provide thought leadership to identify target accelerator partners, coordinate with partnership teams to sell-in the solution, and manage these partners to deployment.

Additional Information

The role requires an individual with an uncommon blend of business, technical, social and project oversight skills – and ideally with direct exposure to digital environment and payment solutions.

• The role may require traveling within the cluster as would be appropriate.

• The role is for an individual contributor who needs no supervision to drive own business.

• The aim of the new mobile and digital solutions is to penetrate and build new business volume and involve new technologies. Hence the role holder must be capable of providing thought leadership combining knowledge of payment system and digital technology.

• Visa’s success with these new digital solutions depends significantly on building relationships with suppliers, vendors and local partners in the payment ecosystem. The role holder must accordingly possess good relationship management skills and ability to evaluate opportunities with partners.

• In order to provide leadership in the project team on strategy, design and implementation of the solution, the individual must have good grounding in the socioeconomic trends and nuances in the markets.

• This role requires coordination and execution of a complex project. Success in this role thus requires good organizational skills and facility for project management in unpredictable environments.

This is a hybrid position. Expectation of days in office will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager.

Professional Experience
1. Extensive knowledge of cross-border remittances and payment solutions.
2. Direct exposure to digital payment solutions, including mobile banking, Payment cards, mobile money, ISO 20022, RTP, API-based platforms, and payments overlay services.
3. Over 12 years of work experience, including taking new products from the idea stage to commercial launch and dealing with regulatory approvals.
4. At least 5 years of experience at a Senior career level.
5. Strong public speaking and presentation skills.
6. Business degree and technical education/background are advantageous.
7. Project Management and Business Analysis experience are strongly preferred.
8. Experience working on digital solutions in the banking or technology space.
9. Fluency in both English and French.

Business
1. Excellent interpersonal and client management skills.
2. Strong analytical and organizational abilities.
3. Willingness and ability to work in unstructured and informal settings with sophisticated clients or partners.
4. Proven commercial negotiation skills.
5. Solid communication skills, both written and spoken.
6. Driven.
7. Culturally adaptable.

Technical
1. Comprehensive understanding of domestic and cross-border payments, Visa systems, banking and financial services, including their platforms and commercial models, ISO 20022 standard, and real-time payments operating models.
2. Knowledge of payment and mobile technology, as well as overlay services for payments and their impact on emerging business models.
3. Insight into consumer behavior, especially in a digital environment.
4. Familiarity with the retail structure in emerging markets.

Visa is an EEO Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.