Director - Government Engagement - West Africa at Visa Incorporated

Job Scope

• Reports to Senior Director, Government Engagement SSA
• Works very closely with Country, Group-level, and Global colleagues including Country Management, Business Development, Merchant Sales and Solutions, Risk, Compliance, Client Services, Corporate Social Impact, Legal, Marketing, Strategy, and Product groups
• Liaises closely with functional colleagues in the region and around the world to develop and refine best practices
• Works with cross-divisional business teams as subject matter expert on regulatory issues and government relations.

Job Description

• This dynamic position, to be based in Visa’s Lagos office, requires a proactive, solution oriented, articulate, strategic thinker, who is able to operate and interact at the highest levels of Government
• The function involves frequent travel within the west Africa region and sometimes to other international destinations.

Position Summary
The position will be responsible for managing all Visa interactions with financial sector regulators and key government officials in West Africa to ensure the following:

• Visa is well positioned to take advantage of potential partnerships with national government agencies particularly in the areas of financial inclusion, payments digitization, including the delivery of social services, payment of taxes, and other potential government programs that may benefit from the application of electronic payments;
• The expansion of the industry in general, and Visa in particular, is not hindered by intrusive political or regulatory intervention;
• Visa’s profile and reputation are optimized through the delivery of coordinated communications and education targeted at key central bank officials, regulators, government officials, and other policy makers both directly and through appropriate surrogates; and
• Visa’s outreach and messaging in the West African region is consistent with similar efforts in other key SSA markets.

Key Responsibilities for the Position

• Develop and implement an effective Government Engagement strategy for the area of responsibility
• Lead the development and building of stakeholder relationships with Government regulators, businesses and non-governmental organizations at all levels
• Ensure that Government Engagement plans are aligned with Visa’s strategic business objectives
• Establish and maintain effective long-term relations with Governments and other external stakeholders at the appropriate levels
• Monitor the regulatory and policy management environment in various West African countries in order to make timely interventions to protect Visa’s commercial interests
• Identify opportunities and support business development programmes and initiatives
• Manage day to day Government Engagement operations and represent Visa at relevant forums in the various regional markets
• Ensure optimization of meeting targets and GE objectives by introducing best practice
• Build and maintain internal relationships and enhance an understanding of the function within the company.

Key Competencies:

• General understanding of the functioning of the electronic payments industry
• Proven track record and minimum of 5-7 year experience in all aspects of developing and implementing stakeholder relations strategies
• In-depth knowledge of the local business and political environments in West Africa
• Political acumen
• Ability to balance commercial interests and social benefits
• Ability to think creatively and innovatively
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Budgeting and financial management
• Ability to work under pressure and willingness to work long hours
• A motivated, self- starter who is able to work independently, within a team, and without daily supervision
• A team player, able to work across various Visa functions
• Computer literacy.
• Fluency in English; a working knowledge of French may be an added advantage.