Director- Merchant Partnerships at Visa · AE - Dubai

Director- Merchant Partnerships

Location: AE - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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.

Job Description

Overview:

The Merchant Partnerships team manages some of Visa’s most strategic, and complex merchant relationships across multiple industry verticals. Our mission is to deepen partnerships, expand existing portfolios, and drive sustainable growth by bringing together the best of Visa’s capabilities, expertise, and solutions. Through a unified engagement model, the team works closely with cross-functional partners across Visa to help clients achieve their strategic ambitions while accelerating Visa’s growth.

As Director, Merchant Partnerships, you will lead and grow a portfolio of strategic client relationships, develop and execute client strategies, identify new business opportunities, and drive revenue growth through the origination and closure of complex commercial opportunities. The role requires strong leadership, strategic vision, and commercial acumen to mobilize Visa’s global resources, deepen partnerships, and deliver meaningful business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own executive-level relationships with assigned clients, serving as a trusted advisor to senior client leaders.
• Develop and execute strategic account plans that accelerate growth across Consumer Payments, Commercial money movement, and Value-added services.
• Lead complex commercial engagements, strategic partnerships, and assist enterprise-wide deal negotiations across multiple markets and regions.
• Conduct financial and business analysis of strategic opportunities for Visa capabilities that increases revenue for both parties through a deep understanding of the partners business and evolving industry context, including payment strategy and solutions
• Influence and coordinate cross-functional teams across Sales, Product, Consulting, Risk, Finance, Marketing, Legal, and Client Services to deliver client outcomes and achieve business objectives.
• Identify emerging market, competitive, regulatory, and technology trends and translate these into actionable client growth opportunities.
• Lead executive business reviews, strategic planning discussions, and governance forums with internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, economics, finance or a related field and an MBA from top business school.
• Proven success managing strategic client relationships and delivering revenue growth within multinational financial institutions.
• 10+ years of experience within Consumer Banking leading large credit card businesses with experience in product and portfolio.
• Preference for a candidate with strong understanding of Co-brand business development and/or program management best practices along with implications for issuers, networks and merchants. Co-brand issuing experience, Cards/Co-brand portfolio P&L expertise, with analytics orientation, preferably across a variety of markets and relevant industries such as airline, retail and e-commerce.
• Demonstrated ability to originate, structure, negotiate, and execute large-scale strategic and commercial agreements.
• Exceptional executive presence, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior decision-makers.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives within highly matrixed global organizations.

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.