Senior Manager – SMB Insights & Market Intelligence – VCS Global SMB

Visa•San Francisco, CA

4h•Hybrid

About The Position

Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are fundamental to the global economy, accounting for over 60% of employment and contributing more than 50% to global GDP. At Visa, SMBs represent a critical segment within Visa Commercial Solutions and present significant growth potential, as currently less than 2% of their payment transactions are conducted using Visa cards. The Global Small Business team is the only dedicated segment at Visa focused on SMBs. We lead Visa’s 2030 agenda for this segment, collaborating across multiple functions to drive performance, identify growth opportunities, and execute global sales and go-to-market programs with a multidisciplinary approach. We are looking for a Senior Manager – SMB Insights & Market Intelligence – Global SMB to join our organization. This role will be responsible for establishing a unified and consistent perspective of the global SMB voice of the customer, managing the global SMB research agenda, and overseeing SMB competitive intelligence. The successful candidate will translate insights into strategic recommendations that inform product development, business strategy, and go-to-market/sales initiatives, including those beyond VCS.

Requirements

8 or more years of relevant work experience with a Bachelor Degree or at least 5 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 2 years of work experience with a PhD

Nice To Haves

9+ years of experience in market intelligence, strategy, research, product marketing, consulting, or analytics‑driven roles, with demonstrated progression into leadership roles – Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred
Preferred experience leading large‑scale, vendor‑executed research programs, including scoping, methodology oversight, synthesis, and executive activation
Proven success acting as a thought partner to senior leadership, informing strategy, investment prioritization, and GTM decisions with evidence‑based insights
Ability to interpret data and translate findings into strategic insights and actionable recommendations
Background in payments, financial services, B2B, or platform ecosystems (issuers, acquirers, fintechs, ISVs)
Demonstrated ability to translate business questions into research needs and manage external consulting firms to high quality standards
Ability to conduct primary and secondary research expertise, including experience conducting interviews
Proven track record in coordinating strategic initiatives, excellent planning and organizational skills designing global business development activities.
Experience presenting to and building relationships with senior management level audiences, both internally and externally
Demonstrated ability to lead through influence in a matrixed organization without direct authority
Must be self-motivated and comfortable with ambiguity.

Responsibilities

SMB Voice of the Customer (VoC)
Global VoC framework - Serve as the main authority on SMB needs and their top priorities. Collaborate with VCS's global and regional teams, as well as other business units (such as Visa Direct and Visa Government Solutions), to deliver a comprehensive SMB perspective on key trends, requirements, and solutions.
Act as VoC advisor – Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership regarding client needs and experience-related decisions.
Bring SMB needs into decision making processes - Strengthen the organization’s capability for client-focused decision-making by providing teams with tools such as frameworks, dashboards, and playbooks to interpret and apply VoC insights effectively.
Global Research Programs
Research Strategy & Portfolio Ownership – Partner with Global and Regional teams to define global research investments, ensuring the research portfolio strategically supports key priorities and advances Visa 2030 objectives.
Thought Leadership & Activation – Guarantee that research deliverables are scalable and impactful, including executive readouts, playbooks, narratives, sales enablement tools, and external-facing thought leadership as appropriate.
Vendor Scoping, Selection & Governance – Oversee the selection and management of research partners; manage methodologies, timelines, quality standards, and budget compliance. Serve as the primary point of accountability between internal stakeholders and external vendors.
Market Competitive Intelligence
Competitive Landscape Mapping – Take a programmatic approach to identify and monitor principal competitors and emerging industry participants, documenting competitor offerings, value propositions, pricing strategies, and go-to-market approaches.
Actionable Intelligence Packaging – Create battlecards, tear sheets, competitor profiles, and executive summaries tailored for various stakeholders (Sales, Product, Leadership), emphasizing strategies to leverage strengths, address gaps, and respond effectively to competitor positioning.
Ongoing Monitoring & Early Signals – Continuously observe macroeconomic trends, regulatory developments, and strategic alliances that influence the competitive environment. Deliver early alerts and forward-looking analyses, rather than solely retrospective assessments.
Insight Validation in Collaboration with Internal Performance Insights – Work closely with the Performance Management Lead to evaluate findings, separate factual indicators from anecdotal observations, and assemble evidence-based narratives regarding factors influencing 2030 targets, outlining the recommended path forward.