Director, Risk Business Partner - Risk & Security Solutions (RAS)

The ideal candidate is viewed by executive leadership as a thought leader who can translate complex risk concepts into actionable business insights while driving strategic decision-making across a rapidly evolving risk and payments landscape. Visa's Product and Payment Services Risk (PPSR) organization is seeking a highly strategic and technically adept risk leader to serve as the primary Risk Business Partner supporting Risk and Security Solutions (RAS).

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

Shape the Future of Risk, Fraud, and Identity at Visa

Visa's Product and Payment Services Risk (PPSR) organization is seeking a highly strategic and technically adept risk leader to serve as the primary Risk Business Partner supporting Risk and Security Solutions (RAS). This role sits at the intersection of enterprise risk management, fraud prevention, data analytics, product innovation, and business strategy.

As a trusted advisor to senior executives, you will influence critical decisions that shape Visa's risk posture across a portfolio of market-leading risk, fraud, identity, authentication, and data-driven solutions. You will partner directly with business leaders, product organization, technology teams, and cross-functional stakeholders to proactively identify emerging risks, challenge assumptions, enhance controls, and support strategic growth initiatives.

This individual will be expected to bring strong enterprise risk expertise, deep strategic thinking capabilities, and a thorough understanding of payments, fraud ecosystems and data-driven products.

The ideal candidate is viewed by executive leadership as a thought leader who can translate complex risk concepts into actionable business insights while driving strategic decision-making across a rapidly evolving risk and payments landscape.

What You'll Do

Strategic Risk Leadership

• Serve as the primary risk advisor to the Risk and Security Solutions organization, influencing business strategy, product development, operational execution, and long-term growth initiatives.
• Partner with executive leadership to identify, assess, monitor, and mitigate key enterprise, operational, technology, model, regulatory, and strategic risks.
• Develop and maintain a forward-looking view of emerging risks impacting fraud management, digital identity, authentication, data products, AI/ML capabilities, and payment ecosystems.
• Assess strategic initiatives, partnerships, and business transformations through a risk lens while enabling responsible innovation.
• Provide effective challenge and risk-based recommendations to senior executives to support informed decision making.

Fraud, Data & Analytics Risk Expertise

• Partner closely with fraud, analytics, and product teams responsible for fraud prevention, risk scoring, identity verification, authentication, and machine learning solutions.
• Evaluate risks associated with data-driven products, AI/ML models, predictive analytics, fraud detection platforms, and automated decisioning capabilities.
• Identify potential control gaps, model risks, data governance concerns, operational vulnerabilities, and emerging fraud threats.
• Support risk oversight of data ecosystems, fraud models, identity solutions, and strategic analytics initiatives.

Enterprise Risk Management & Governance

• Connect Visa's Risk Appetite Framework with business strategy, products, and operational objectives.
• Lead risk assessments for significant initiatives, product launches, and emerging business opportunities.
• Drive compliance and execution across enterprise risk programs, including:
  • PRR
  • RCSA
  • TLMP
  • Model Risk Management (MRM)
  • Visa Data Assessment (ViDA)
• Develop both top-down and bottom-up risk views to provide meaningful risk insights to executive leadership.
• Strengthen first-line risk ownership and accountability through proactive partnership and governance.

Executive Engagement & Influence

• Present risk themes, emerging threats, and portfolio-level risk insights to senior leadership.
• Develop risk narratives that enable strategic decisions and support business growth.
• Serve as a trusted thought partner to executives, helping balance risk management, innovation, customer experience, and commercial objectives.
• Drive leadership reporting, regulator engagement support, and risk committee materials.

Change & Transformation Leadership

• Support large-scale strategic initiatives involving fraud technologies, identity solutions, AI-enabled capabilities, data modernization, and new business models.
• Lead efforts to enhance resiliency, operational effectiveness, governance, and controls maturity across the organization.
• Foster a strong risk culture by embedding risk management practices into business processes and strategic planning activities.

This position is Hybrid role to be based in either our San Francisco, CA office locations. Visa requires at least 3 days in office, expectations of these days will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager. 

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree or 8+ years of experience with an Advanced Degree (MBA, Master's, JD, MD) or 3+ years with a PhD.
• Demonstrated experience in Enterprise Risk Management, Operational Risk, Technology Risk, Strategic Risk, or Product Risk.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, relationship management, and executive influence skills.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking capabilities.
• Experience working across large, matrixed, global organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• 12+ years of professional experience within financial services, payments, fintech, technology, consulting, or digital platforms.
• 7+ years supporting enterprise, strategic, technology, product, fraud, or operational risk functions.
• Experience supporting fraud, identity, authentication, AI/ML, analytics, or data product organizations.
• Proven ability to advise executive leadership on strategic risk decisions.
• Knowledge of Visa's payments ecosystem, fraud solutions, acceptance ecosystem, issuer solutions, and risk products.
• Experience partnering with product, engineering, data science, and analytics organizations.
• MBA, Master's Degree, FRM, CRISC, CISA, CFA, or equivalent professional certification preferred.

 

Ideal Candidate Profile

We are seeking a highly credible risk strategist who combines enterprise risk expertise with deep business acumen, technical curiosity, and a strong understanding of fraud, risk analytics, identity solutions, and data-driven products. This individual will serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, helping shape business strategy while ensuring risks are appropriately identified, measured, managed, and communicated across one of Visa's most critical growth portfolios.

 

Information for US Applicants

For roles located in the US, the estimated salary range for this position is $145,100 to $273,200 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 equity.Visa 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.