Director, Government Sales – Visa Direct

Visa•Washington, DC

2d•Remote

About The Position

Visa Direct is a money movement service that Visa provides to clients such as issuers, acquirers, processors, fintechs, merchants, service providers, and public sector entities to facilitate embedded end‑to‑end domestic and global funds transfers. Visa Direct consumer, business, and government applications include person‑to‑person payments, funds disbursements, benefits and claims payments, cross‑border remittance, emergency relief, and more. The Visa Direct Government Sales Director will drive sales acceleration and be part of building a differentiated public sector ecosystem in the fast‑moving world of payments. This role will focus exclusively on the government segment, including local, state, and federal agencies, and will play a critical role in expanding Visa Direct’s footprint across public sector use cases. This role will be responsible for selling directly into government agencies as well as selling through strategic partners with deep public sector expertise, partnering closely with internal sales leaders to achieve critical sales targets, and contributing to the continued growth of Visa Direct within the government ecosystem. We operate in an agile environment, and this individual must be influential in demonstrating the value of Visa Direct, proactive in ensuring progress against goals, and skilled at pivoting and adjusting as new information, policy considerations, and stakeholder inputs emerge. This is a highly matrixed, cross‑functional role, where organizational savvy, comfort navigating complexity, and strong interpersonal skills are critical. The role will interface with specialized product groups, financial institution sales, digital partnership sales, client consulting, marketing, corporate communications, legal, finance, and external partners to align around shared public sector objectives. Visa is looking for an individual who is a thought leader in strategy and business growth, with a consistent track record of success in complex, regulated, and stakeholder‑driven environments with demanding timelines.

Requirements

10 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or at least 8 years of work experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters/ MBA/JD/MD) or at least 3 years of work experience with a PhD
10 years of executive and consultative selling experience, including payments, financial services, or technology solutions
Demonstrated ability to sell in highly matrixed environments, influencing stakeholders without direct authority
Experience selling both directly to end customers and through partners, particularly in complex or regulated industries
Creative self‑starter with a bias toward action and a track record of successfully developing, launching, and commercializing technology solutions
Highly skilled problem solver with a strong focus on delivering outcomes for clients
Excellent listening, communication, and executive‑presence skills, ability to engage credibly with senior government and partner stakeholders
Ability to explain complex business and technical concepts to diverse audiences in a clear, approachable manner
Accomplished sales leader with the ability to set and execute overarching sales strategies
Demonstrated thought leadership and creativity in approaching complex, multi‑stakeholder problems
Passion for transforming payments and delivering meaningful impact through public sector innovation
Ability to inspire teams and influence cross functional partners
High degree of professionalism and integrity in building trusted relationships
Strong team player who can operate independently while coordinating across functions
Payments industry knowledge required

Nice To Haves

12 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or 8-10 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 6+ years of work experience with a PhD
Strongly preferred: Prior experience and proven success selling payments, financial services, or technology solutions into local, state, or federal government entities
push payments, real‑time payments, or cross-border payments experience a plus
Foundational knowledge of the open‑loop payments ecosystem, including issuers, acquirers, payfacs, ISVs, and enablers

Responsibilities

Achieve or exceed Visa Direct sales goals for the government segment, including local, state, and federal opportunities
Achieve annual Visa Direct revenue goals in partnership with account executives, public sector specialists, and sales teams
Lead government clients and partners through the full sales lifecycle, from early engagement and contracting through achieving contractual net revenue goals
Develop and execute a government‑focused sales strategy, including identifying priority agencies, use cases, funding flows, verticals (e.g., benefits, tax, payroll, emergency relief), and buying motions
Sell directly to government agencies, while also identifying, enabling, and scaling partners with established government expertise to include Visa Direct in their offerings
Work with existing Visa Account Executives to cross‑sell Visa Direct where there is strong public sector fit
Identify and onboard strategic enabling partners e.g., processors, platforms, integrators that serve government clients and can extend Visa Direct’s reach
Collaborate with cross‑functional partners across regions to ensure alignment on public sector priorities, requirements, and execution readiness
Partner with the Visa Direct Product team to shape go‑to‑market strategy, value propositions, and product constructs that meet government needs
Work with Financial Institution and Digital Partnership teams to ensure cohesion and consistency across shared government partners
Partner with Marketing to ensure government‑ready client‑facing materials that accelerate education, trust, and sales cycles
Work with Communications to highlight public sector progress and growth through appropriate external communication channels, events, and thought leadership
Represent Visa Direct at select government‑focused conferences and industry forums to educate, engage, and build credibility with agencies, partners, and prospects
Partner with Finance to ensure appropriate incentive structures, deal modeling, and approval processes aligned to government sales motions
Work closely with Legal to structure contracts that address government requirements while achieving successful outcomes for Visa and its clients
Partner with Client Services to ensure smooth handoff from sale to implementation and delivery of well‑run projects
Lead regular pipeline reviews, deal strategy sessions, and problem‑solving discussions focused on advancing complex government opportunities