Impact Programs – Europe Social Impact & Sustainability Director

Why this is important to Visa

Visa understands that operating a successful company includes driving business growth delivering strong shareholder returns and expanding digital commerce in support of local economies.

The Social Impact & Sustainability (SIS) team executes on this belief every day connecting our shared communities within and outside of Visa. We strive to place Visa at the forefront to power the future of commerce for everyone through inclusive financial products innovative and impactful solutions and responsible corporate leadership. Our team works to leverage Visas assets business model and global scale to drive business growth and economic growth with a focus on communities where we do business. We aim to achieve this by building purpose-driven partnerships and delivering programs that have societal and business benefit with a particular emphasis on supporting the financial success of small and micro businesses (SMBs).

What a Director Impact Programs Europe Social Impact & Sustainability does at Visa

As a key member of Visas Europe team the Social Impact & Sustainability Director will partner on leading the development and execution of the regions SIS strategy aligning with Visas 2030 business vision and market-specific priorities. This role will be a critical connector who will support Visa Foundation in the execution of its strategy through strong market-level partner management and advising. The Director is pivotal in driving measurable impact through strategic programs designed to achieve desired behavioral change partnerships and stakeholder engagement.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy Development & Execution

• Develop and advance the Europe social impact & sustainability strategy and roadmap to deliver on Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) with a particular focus and responsibility for impact programs.
• Align initiatives with Visas global priorities focusing on:
  • Empowering small businesses and entrepreneurs through digital tools knowledge access and security.
  • Promoting financial education to foster economic inclusion and development.
  • Enhancing digital commerce security for all users.
  • Advancing Visas position as a thought leader and solution provider in the circular economy (Recommerce)
  • Demonstrating Visas long-term commitment to the communities we serve.

2. Impact Program Leadership

• Lead regional strategy for impact programs and partnership deployment and advise on Visa Foundation capital allocation in the Europe region in alignment with market strategies.
• Manage end-to-end impact program design delivery and adoption including oversight of key public and private sector partnerships and management of relationships in partnership with Government Affairs and other key Visa stakeholders.
• Drive local Visa market team awareness of and connection to Visa Foundation partners through strong relationship management and by supporting events site visits and other visibility opportunities.
• Collaborate and actively partner with colleagues across the business including country leadership Communications Government Affairs teams and external stakeholders to implement and scale programs.
• Develop compelling narratives that articulate Visas purpose and impact in priority markets.
• Establish feedback loops to share insights and best practices across regions.
• Integrate social impact & sustainability into key client and government engagements to drive both social and commercial outcomes.

3. Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong trust-based relationships with key external stakeholders across Europe.
• Enhance Visas reputation and influence with decision-makers through consistent values-driven engagement.

4. Measurement & Reporting

• Oversee the tracking and reporting of social and business outcomes in alignment with defined OKRs.

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

Qualifications :

• Minimum 5-8 years experience across some combination of public private and civil sectors. Experience in working in the technology and/or financial services sectors preferred as well as government politics communications and/or economic development is a plus.
• Excellent stakeholder management with experience with the ability to deliver an aligned plan across multiple stakeholders to drive a shared vision
• Proven track record of creating implementing and scaling public-private partnerships in emerging markets with clear positive outcomes for the local community as well as the companys reputation and business strategy.
• Experience developing and deploying comprehensive public affairs campaigns centered around the companys contributions to the local community and economic development.
• Demonstrated success in building long-term partnerships with leading organizations in the public and civil sectors.
• Previous experience navigating complex corporate environments and translating global strategies into regional and country approaches.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities with a flexible and adaptable approach to support broader market strategic initiatives as needed

What will also help:

• Experience working in the payments industry
• Ability to influence both global and regional/country stakeholders to develop regional/market SIS strategies roadmaps and initiatives that encompass all priorities (social impact and business)
• Strong understanding of financial inclusion and SMB needs
• Understanding of the intersection between social impact government/regulatory affairs and communications
• Global mindset but knowledgeable of different cultural ecosystem landscapes and ability to connect to Visa business goals
• Passion for and ability to create impact

Additional Information :

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.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time