Sr. Director, Software Engineering (GenAI/Cloud)

The Value-Added Services Product Development (VAS PD) team drives the diversification of Visa revenue with products that differentiate Visa network and deliver valuable solutions across other networks. Risk and Security Solutions (RAS) team in VAS focuses on innovative, AI-driven risk and fraud management solutions for issuers, merchants and fintech's.

The Sr. Director of Engineering in the RAS Product Development team will be responsible for leading the technology strategy, solution, and execution of initiatives that support our business objectives. This role focuses on Integrated Risk Platform that supports all Risk and Security products such as Visa Enhanced Authentication, Decision Manager, Visa Risk Manager, Identity etc.

Essential Functions :

• Define and drive the enterprise engineering and cloud strategy, aligning with business and product goals to accelerate innovation, scalability, and time to market.
• Lead adoption of Generative AI and Agentic AI across the SDLC, delivering up to 10X developer productivity and enabling differentiated, AI‑powered business solutions.
• Provide senior technology leadership for cloud‑first platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), ensuring systems are secure, resilient, cost‑optimized, and engineered for 5 9s+ availability.
• Establish and enforce modern engineering excellence, including CI/CD automation, DevOps, testing, observability, and architectural standards to ensure reliability and quality at scale.
• Lead, mentor, and grow high‑performing, multi‑disciplinary engineering teams, fostering a culture of ownership, inclusion, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Partner closely with Product, Security, Privacy, and Governance leaders to define joint product and technology roadmaps and deliver compliant, scalable solutions that meet non‑functional requirements.
• Drive delivery of secure, interoperable, and fit‑for‑purpose platforms and products, balancing speed with long‑term architectural integrity and operational excellence.
• Communicate technical vision and execution plans clearly to executives and stakeholders, influencing decision‑making and aligning engineering outcomes with business KPIs and leadership principles.

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

Basic Qualifications:

• 12+ years of relevant work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or at least 9 years of work experience with an Advanced degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 6 years of work experience with a PhD, OR 15+ years of relevant work experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 15 or more years of experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or 12 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, or MD), PhD with 9+ years of experience
• 15+ years of progressive engineering experience, including 12+ years leading large‑scale product development and delivery, with a Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven expertise across modern technology stacks, including Java/J2EE, GoLang, Python, Spring Boot, React, RESTful APIs, SQL/NoSQL databases, Kubernetes, Kafka, and test automation frameworks.
• Demonstrated success driving measurable improvements in engineering productivity, delivery velocity, system performance, reliability, and operational excellence through data‑driven leadership.
• Deep experience with cloud‑native and DevSecOps architectures, leveraging AWS and/or Azure, containerization (Docker), Kubernetes, serverless computing, and automated CI/CD pipelines.
• Advanced knowledge of Generative AI and Agentic AI, including hands‑on experience integrating LLMs, vector databases, RAG, prompt engineering, and AI governance into production platforms to achieve order‑of‑magnitude productivity gains.
• Strong foundation in secure‑by‑design architecture, including zero‑trust, defense‑in‑depth, and compliance‑driven engineering within highly regulated, mission‑critical environments.
• Recognized architectural leadership, with experience designing and operating globally distributed, active‑active, multi‑region platforms requiring high availability, resilience, and scalability.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to influence at all levels, mentor senior leaders, and articulate complex technical strategies to executive and business stakeholders.

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.

U.S. APPLICANTS ONLY: The estimated salary range for this position is 206,100.00 to 360,800.00 USD per year, which may include potential sales incentive payments (if applicable). Salary may vary depending on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this position may be eligible for bonus and equity. Visa has a comprehensive benefits package for which this position may be eligible that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401 (k), FSA/HSA, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, and Wellness Program.