Visa is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating more than 215 billion payments transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across 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.

When you join Visa, you join a culture of purpose and belonging – where your growth is priority, your identity is embraced, and the work you do matters. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere. Your work will have a direct impact on billions of people around the world – helping unlock financial access to enable the future of money movement.

Join Visa: A Network Working for Everyone.

Visa Foundation has reached six years in its development. The strategic plan for the next five years will focus on scaled impact and enhanced visibility among key stakeholders.

The Senior Director of Grants and External Partnerships is an expanded role focused on identifying, developing and leading strategic grantmaking together with forming partnerships that leverage grants to advance societal good. This external facing role is expected to leverage relationships in philanthropy, NGOs, governmental organizations, and communities. This role understands the unique attributes of corporate foundations, community foundations, and legacy family foundations. The day-to-day scope will engage in thought leaderships with partners to identify disparities that need attention related to economic mobility for small and micro businesses. The hallmark 200M Equitable Access Initiative will continue to govern grantmaking with measurable impact. Success will be based on quality of research to inform grantmaking that leverages partnerships to compound impact.

The Senior Director will oversee the grants team, liaise with investment team on new frontiers, define enhanced measures of success, meet with key external partnerships to align on meaningful projects and solutions, collaborate with five regional leaders, and bring visibility of foundation success to Visa Inc. Further, the successful candidate will design a five-year roadmap for grantmaking, programmatic measurement, partner convening, and dynamic communications planning.

This role reports to the President, Visa Foundation, and is a member of the Foundation’s leadership team.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Partnership Development (40%): Identify, create and cultivate partnerships that deepen in-market collaborations. These partnerships will be in the form of grantees, non-governmental agencies, leaders, community-based leaders, community foundation leaders, corporate foundations, and Visa regional colleagues. The successful candidate will be in the office to drive relationship development with internal colleagues related to information sharing, research, designing measurement systems, decision-making, and communication planning. External convenings and collaborations will be in the form of due diligence, new grant opportunities, signature annual gatherings, and professional development. In addition, the role will leverage research partnerships, knowledge networks, and other forums where on-the-horizon opportunities emerge that are consistent with Visa’s purpose and the Foundation’s mission.

Leadership for Administration, Reputation Enhancement and Visibility (30%): Executive presence that supports the Visa brand as purpose driven with assets that support global impact. Develop the grantmaking agenda to be high impact and relevant to key stakeholders. Optimize staffing and financial resource to achieve meaningful change in focus areas of Visa Foundation. In partnership with the Visa Foundation President and Board of Directors, identify and develop integrated program communications plans. Identify and curate content from key partners to disseminate the impact of the Foundation to global and local audiences.

Grantmaking Oversight and Integration (20%): Engage an experienced and highly competent team on the fundamentals of effective grantmaking to include proposal creation, evaluation of potential partners, validate measurement and investigate to substantiate outcomes, relationship management, legal and financial reviews, and approval process. Document the cumulative impact of grantmaking into an annual Foundation report.

General (10%): Support Foundation President as needed in all aspects of function management including strategy development, staffing, budgets, communications, operations, Board management, executive engagement, and partnership with Inclusive Impact and Sustainability teams.

This is a hybrid position. Hybrid employees can alternate time between both remote and office. Employees in hybrid roles are expected to work from the office two days a week, Tuesdays and Wednesdays with a general guidepost of being in the office 50% of the time based on business needs.

Work Hours: Varies upon the needs of the department.

Travel Requirements: This position requires travel 5-10% of the time.

Mental/Physical Requirements: This position will be performed in an office setting.  The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, frequently operate standard office equipment, such as telephones and computers.

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.

Visa will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable local law, including the requirements of Article 49 of the San Francisco Police Code.