Marketing Finance Director

Company Description

Visa is a world leader in payments and technology, with over 259 billion payments transactions flowing safely between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities in more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive while driven by a common purpose – to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

Make an impact with a purpose-driven industry leader. Join us today and experience Life at Visa.

Job Description

The Finance Director for Marketing will play a critical role in setting, shaping and tracking investments in Europe and in supporting growth of Marketing Services to clients.  They will provide strategic financial leadership to the Chief Marketing Officer and her team, ensuring alignment with Visa’s business objectives and 2030 strategy.  The scope will cover campaigns funded by Visa’s core budget, Innovation & Market Development (IMD) fees and Client Value In Kind (VIK), including Sponsorships.  This will involve working closely with senior stakeholders and finance teams in Europe sub-regions.  The role requires a deep understanding of financial analysis, forecasting and partnering and strong commercial acumen, with the desire and ability to challenge the status quo to improve efficiency, effectiveness and business performance.

Responsibilities include:

• Business Partnering
  • Partner with the Marketing Leadership Team in Europe to drive strategic financial planning and decision-making, ensuring alignment with Visa’s business objectives, and clear accountability for spend and intended business outcomes. 
  • Partner with Marketing Services on the delivery of Value In Kind to clients and IMD-funded delivery, and articulate the revenue and cost trajectory against the 2030 Strategy. 
  • Maximise value achieved by driving commercial thinking across the function and influence outcomes by providing challenge and support, ensuring decisions are commercially sound and in the best interests of VISA and our clients
  • Provide insights and effective Decision Support on key performance metrics, investment proposals and opportunities for strategic initiatives by executing the necessary analysis, business case modelling and forecasting.
• Budget and Forecast
  • Lead the preparation of an annual budget and outer year forecast for the Marketing function.  Marketing has the largest opex budget among European functions.  Marketing VIK and IMD is a significant contributor to Value-Added Service revenues.
  • As such, work closely with the FBPs for VIK and IMD, and build an understanding of VIK and IMD drivers and governance, including IMD opex reclassification and incentives – ensuring accurate, timely and efficient sharing of information.
  • Work with the Senior Directors for Opex and VAS on multi-year cost projections and quarterly refreshes of current year cost and revenue forecasts.  Analyse and provide explanations for variances in monthly actuals or quarterly forecasts versus Budget. 
• Tools & Processes
  • Lead the preparation and analysis of financial reports to Marketing, and ensure a seamless and timely flow of data with the Europe VAS Finance team and Global Marketing finance team.
  • Become an expert in finance processes relating to Marketing (Core, VIK and IMD), in collaboration with Controllership and the VAS Finance team.
  • Develop and share a vision for improvements in management information for Marketing.

This role will report to the Senior Director, Europe FP&A, for whom they will need to provide cover.  There is also potential for this role to grow to include more IMD activities, in which case they would be supported by at least one manager. 

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.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field. An MBA or relevant professional qualification (e.g. ACA, CIMA, ACCA or equivalent) preferred.
• Senior Business Partnering experience. Proven ability to build and cultivate effective relationships with senior executives and act as a credible peer within the business and the Finance function at a regional and global level. Experience of partnering with a Marketing function preferred.
• Exceptional commercial focus, with a record of analysing business performance, identifying trends and issues, and challenging the norm. Familiarity with client incentives and ‘value in kind’ structures desirable.
• Superior analytical and problem-solving skills, with demonstrated intellectual and analytical rigor, and the ability to interpret trends, identify issues and recommend actions. Excellent presentation skills, including strong oral and writing capabilities.
• Proven self-starter, pro-active and hands-on in their approach to all activities, and creative, resourceful and courageous in driving change and overcoming barriers. A track record of innovation and delivering to deadlines.
• Strong Excel skills and the ability and confidence to manage large data sets, prepare dashboards and explain and delegate related data management tasks. Data analytics experience and application of data tools (R, Python, SQL) and Finance systems (Hyperion) knowledge are desirable.
• Broad understanding of the payment landscape and payment products and solutions is desirable.
• Team-oriented, collaborative, diplomatic, and flexible, with appetite to coach and train others, within the team and among the FBP community, committed to the Visa Leadership Principles.

Additional Information

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.