Senior Director

We're not just building products in Visa Innovation, we're reshaping the future of Payments. We believe in challenging the status quo and crafting solutions that not only solve existing problems but that also reimagine how the payments ecosystem could evolve to better meet the needs of all stakeholders and end users. In this leadership role, you'll be a crucial member of our EU Product Innovation team, using your mixed-methods expertise to uncover user needs and translate insights into game-changing solutions that impact the entire product development lifecycle - from foundational discovery to hypothesis evaluation.

Your Mission:
• Pioneer uncharted territory: 0-1 product innovation focus – Lead research initiatives for new product concepts to uncover unmet needs and inspire solutions that add value to our business, our customers, and the payments ecosystem. Research will be leading / guiding by unearthing insights that shape and support the Innovation Teams’ product roadmaps.
• Lead and mentor, globally: Remit is global across our 5 regions. This role will be helping to manage in-region researchers and research even as we are also always looking for opportunities to collaborate and get smarter together, faster, across regions
• Become a research guide: Lead the product team through every stage of the development journey, from initial ideation to user testing and refinement.
• Craft compelling narratives: Weave quantitative and qualitative data into compelling user stories and strategic frameworks to spark and structure the solutioning process with cross-functional partners, such as designers, engineers, and product leaders.
• Challenge assumptions: Don't shy away from questioning convention as well as questioning assumptions and hypotheses about solutions. Push the boundaries of traditional research methods and explore unconventional sources of insight to unearth hidden gems.
• Embrace rapid iteration: Adapt and evolve your research approach as ideas pivot and prototypes transform, ensuring continuous user input fuels the innovation cycle.

Key Responsibilities:
• Lead and conduct end-to-end mixed methods research (both qualitative and quantitative) to inform product design and strategy
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including design, product management, and engineering, to integrate user research at every stage of the product development process
• Design and execute studies to understand user behavior, attitudes, and needs, utilizing a variety of methods such as interviews, surveys, usability testing, and data analysis
• Synthesize and communicate research findings to stakeholders in a clear and compelling manner, influencing product direction and decision-making
• Identify, onboard, and manage vendor partners
• Stay updated with the latest trends and best practices in user research and the financial services industry

Bonus points:
• Passion for, and knowledgeable about, emerging technologies
• Experience partnering with policy and regulation partners
• Skilled at data visualization and information design

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 2-3 set days a week (determined by leadership/site), with a general guidepost of being in the office 50% or more of the time based on business needs.

Requirements

Basic Qualifications:
• 12 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or at least 10 years of work experience with an Advanced degree (e.g. Masters/MBA /JD/MD), or a minimum of 5 years of work experience with a PhD

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
• 10+ years of experience in user experience research, with demonstrable experience designing and executing research across the full product development lifecycle
• Background in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and an ability to fluidly flex between ethnographic inquiry, survey design, and analysis
• Proven experience in conducting research for early-stage, high-risk product concepts
• Deep understanding of user-centered design principles and skilled at translating insights into actionable product roadmaps
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, able to distinguish insights from findings and present those insights in a way that inspires action
• Strong analytical skills, coupled with a willingness to explore beyond the traditional toolbox and embrace new methodologies
• Excellent cross-functional partnership skills and ability to lead product conversations with insights
• Familiarity with design thinking or other human-centered innovation methodologies
• Fluency in English is required, additional European language skills are a plus