Director, Visa Direct Ecosystem Development

The Visa Direct Ecosystem Development Director will lead ecosystem enablement and expansion for Visa Direct in Canada and the region. This role is accountable for issuer and partner readiness, acceptance quality, ecosystem innovation, operational performance, and compliance across key domestic and cross‑border use cases.

The Director will define and execute ecosystem strategy, drive market expansion with issuers, acquirers, enablers, and partners, and ensure the Visa Direct ecosystem operates with high performance, regulatory integrity, and scalability. The ideal candidate brings deep payments expertise, strong ecosystem leadership capabilities, and a structured, analytical approach to solving complex operational and policy challenges. Key Responsibilities: Ecosystem Strategy, Expansion & Partnerships

• Define and own the Visa Direct ecosystem strategy, spanning issuer, acquirer, enabler, and partner enablement.
• Develop and execute multi‑year ecosystem growth plans and OKRs, covering enablement, acceptance, performance, compliance, and revenue outcomes.
• Lead ecosystem expansion initiatives and market openings in partnership with Product, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Client Services, Licensing, and Commercialization teams.
• Partner with issuers, processors, and technology providers to support implementation, activation, and scaling of Visa Direct
• Identify cross‑endpoint synergies to improve ecosystem efficiency.
• Support activation of cross‑border payment corridors, ensuring market readiness, regulatory alignment, and smooth technical integration.
• Ensure ecosystem readiness for new and emerging use cases eg. Crypto, Liquid assets etc.

Issuer & Partner Ecosystem Enablement

• Lead issuer and other partners readiness across the full Visa Direct endpoint portfolio, ensuring consistent acceptance and operational execution.
• Serve as a Visa Direct product ecosystem SME, guiding clients through technical, operational, and compliance requirements.
• Work closely with regional and in‑market teams, Account Executives, and Client Services to support client onboarding, activation, and ongoing ecosystem health.
• Translate complex ecosystem requirements into clear, actionable guidance for issuer and partner stakeholders.

Governance, Policy & Compliance Enablement

• Ensure ecosystem readiness in alignment with Visa rules, product guides, mandates, and policy frameworks across domestic and cross‑border flows.
• Drive issuer and partner adherence to network standards, technical specifications, and compliance requirements in collaboration with Legal, Risk, AML, Compliance, Finance, and Product teams.
• Support rule governance activities, including approvals, waivers, regulatory initiatives, and policy interpretations.
• Assess ecosystem and partner impacts of rule, policy, and regulatory changes and define compliant, scalable solutions.
• Act as the regional focal point for assessing issuer readiness for product enhancements, rule updates, and ecosystem changes.

Readiness, Performance & Optimization

• Monitor and manage ecosystem performance and readiness, including approval rates, fraud and risk metrics, data integrity, and operational health.
• Lead issuer acceptance and performance optimization initiatives, including new and emerging Visa Direct use cases.
• Oversee post‑launch monitoring and continuous improvement efforts to ensure seamless, scalable ecosystem performance.
• Drive data‑driven initiatives to improve acceptance quality, consistency, and operational resilience across endpoints.

Cross‑Functional Leadership & Client Advocacy

• Partner with global and regional product teams to ensure ecosystem readiness for new capabilities, releases, and innovations.
• Collaborate across ecosystem, risk, compliance, technology, and client service teams to deliver high‑quality, scalable Visa Direct execution.
• Act as a strong client advocate, balancing commercial growth with operational discipline, compliance, and ecosystem sustainability.

Visa requires at least 3 days in office, expectations of these days will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager.

Basic Qualifications:

• 10 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor's Degree or at least 8 years of work experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters/ MBA/JD/MD) or at least 3 years of work experience with a PhD

Preferred Qualifications:

• 12 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor's Degree or 8-10 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 6+ years of work experience with a PhD
• Deep expertise in the payments industry.
• Strong understanding of digital money movement ecosystems, including card, push‑to‑wallet, and push‑to‑account flows.
• Solid knowledge of issuer and/or account portfolio performance drivers, including P&Ls, authorization strategies, fraud and risk management, and relevant regulation.
• Good working knowledge of payment schemes, banking regulations, financial crime, and crypto‑adjacent considerations.
• Proven ability to identify operational, technical, and standards‑based synergies across endpoints and translate them into executable guidance.
• Experience partnering with legal, compliance, risk, AML, and product teams on rules‑based and regulatory initiatives.
• Strong structured thinking, analytical problem‑solving, and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Client‑focused mindset with experience guiding complex issuer and partner organizations through readiness and change.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams within a global, matrixed environment.