Director, Applied AI Transformation - North America

About Us Visa is a world leader in payments technology, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories, dedicated to uplifting everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid. At Visa, you'll have the opportunity to create impact at scale — tackling meaningful challenges, growing your skills and seeing your contributions impact lives around the world. Join Visa and do work that matters – to you, to your community, and to the world. Progress starts with you. Visa will accept applications for this role until at least 08-20-2026 Job Description Team background: The North America BizOps team is the engine behind the North America Region & Regional President's agenda. We have a broad and exciting mandate: running the day-to-day management of the North America business, the Regional President's Office and Chief of Staff work, AI transformation, employee engagement, client events, and priority initiatives. If it matters to how North America runs — or where it's headed — we're usually the ones making sure it happens. Position Details We are building the team that will shape how North America adopts and scales AI, working across the business and AI initiatives to turn AI's potential into real world results. We are looking for an ambitious, entrepreneurial leader to help define the vision, operating model, success metrics, and engagement model, then lead the work and the team. This leader will set the strategy and priorities for North America's AI transformation, helping define how AI is adopted, scaled, and translated into business value across the region. They will oversee a pod of analysts embedded into business teams to demonstrate what an AI-first team looks like in practice, identifying manual, repetitive work, deploying practical AI solutions, and creating measurable business value. By demonstrating AI's value through accessible, real team examples, they will build repeatable playbooks that can scale across North America, helping employees meaningfully adopt AI and preparing the organization for broader transformation over time. This leader will also serve as the connective tissue across North America's internal AI efforts, bringing together leaders, initiatives, and tooling across the business to scale successful solutions and ways of working. Success requires equal parts strategic thinking, hands-on execution, people leadership, and the ability to create influence and momentum in a rapidly evolving space. Key Responsibilities: Stand up and lead North America's internal AI transformation effort, building the strategy, prioritization framework, governance, and operating model needed to focus the region on the highest-impact opportunities and scale adoption across the business. Lead North America's Embedded AI Pod, setting priorities and guiding the development of AI-enabled solutions that eliminate manual, repetitive work and materially improve how teams operate. Coach and mentor Embedded AI Analysts, helping high potential early-career technical and business resources grow into strong builders, problem-solvers, and operators Redefine and lead the mission, operating model, and success measures for North America's AI Champions network and broader enablement strategy, creating scalable, self-sustaining mechanisms for AI adoption through business-led training, shared resources, practical playbooks, and knowledge sharing Act as the principal AI advisor to the North America Leadership Team, educating leaders on AI capabilities and helping determine where AI can most materially improve their teams' ways of working Serve as North America's internal lead for AI, maintaining visibility into AI initiatives across Visa, determining where North America should engage, partner, or influence, and driving collaboration in efforts with the greatest potential for business impact. Establish executive reporting and performance measurement processes to track adoption, business outcomes, usage trends, and the effectiveness of North America's AI transformation efforts Visa requires at least 3 days in office, expectations of these days will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager. Qualifications Basic Qualifications: 10 or more years of relevant work experience with a Bachelor’s degree or at least 8 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 2 years of work experience with a PhD Preferred Qualifications: 10-12 or more years of relevant work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or 9 or more relevant years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 3 or more years of experience with a PhD Experience leading AI-enabled workflow transformation and managing a high-performing team is required. Experience managing high-potential, early-career talent, including both technical and non-technical team members. AI-native. You use AI tools as a core part of how you work today. Bonus if you've led an AI transformation — spotting the right workflows, defining what success looks like, and driving the change management to make it stick. Strong working knowledge of enterprise AI platforms, foundation models, and agent orchestration frameworks, including Microsoft AI solutions (e.g., Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio), leading model ecosystems (e.g., Claude, Grok, OpenAI, Gemini), and agentic tooling/platforms (e.g., Claude Cowork, OpenClaw). Builds from ambiguity. Excels at creating structure, strategy, and execution plans where no clear path exists, bringing clarity and momentum to complex, evolving problems. Sharp analytical and communication instincts. You can take messy, complex inputs, find the insight, and turn it into a clear, concise, executive-ready output — written or verbal. Ramps fast. You get up to speed on new topics and teams quickly, add value early, and don't burden others to do it. You can size up an ambiguous situation, weigh the tradeoffs, and move. Business sense. You understand how Visa's business and clients work — or you know how to figure it out fast when you don't. Calm under pressure. Composure, judgment, and attention to detail hold up when the stakes are high and the clock is ticking. High EQ and strong people skills. You build trust quickly across functions and levels, and have well-honed influencing skills. Executive presence. You're comfortable in front of senior executives — clear, concise, and credible whether you're presenting, pushing back, or thinking on your feet. Able to explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiences. Low ego, high impact. You act with the end outcome and the stakeholder experience in mind. You step in where needed, look for ways to remove friction rather than add it, and care more about the result than who gets credit. Discreet. You handle highly sensitive information with professionalism and confidentiality Prior experience in management consulting will be highly preferred Information for US Applicants For roles located in the US, the estimated salary range for this position is $207,500.00 to $ 332,400.00 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 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. 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 protect veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the EEOC guidelines and applicable local law, including the requirements of Article 49 of the San Francisco Police Code.