Manager Loyalty Solutions at Visa

 Purpose

This is a Loyalty Product Sale Specialist role which will be primarily responsible for selling in Visa loyalty products across clients in SSA while also managing and facilitating implementation of these products to enhance Visa’s client relationships with issuers, merchants, FinTechs and drive incremental profitable behaviors. 

Principal Responsibilities and Key Results Area

Market Knowledge

• Understand market trends, client needs, the competitive landscape, and overarching privacy and regulatory environments within the SSA region.
• Help identify and deliver against the needs of clients i.e. Issuers, Merchants and FinTechs in key SSA markets, relating to loyalty solutions and consumer experience.
• Help package, sell, and deliver robust consumer and merchant loyalty solutions for clients

Product Development and Delivery

• Drive loyalty product sales and delivery including project management, understanding, and developing consumer loyalty solutions, processes and collateral, that allow the products and capabilities to be pitched to the local SSA markets and delivered in a bespoke manner to clients
• Work closely with local market teams to understand client needs and customize solutions as required
• Under the guidance of your line manager, Senior Director SSA Consumer Solutions and CVP, and other key functional manager i.e., Senior Director CEMEA Hub Loyalty Solutions, work with the Business Development and Product teams as well as other stakeholders to implement key solutions and drive revenue targets.

 Business Case and Product Performance Management

• Support the creation of Business cases for new initiatives and prepare financial projections, working closely with Finance, Business Development, and other stakeholders to validate assumptions.
• Track the performance of loyalty solution implementations, launches and programs, whilst providing regular reporting and dashboards.

Business Development Support and Solutions Dissemination

• Support key business development opportunities, provide input and expertise to pitches, RFPs, deal structures, revenue forecasts and contracts.
• Collaborate with key internal Visa partners - including Finance, Legal, Risk, Compliance, Marketing, Business Development, Acceptance in all activities.

Reporting Relationships and Interactions

• Role will be in the Johannesburg Office and has reporting relationship to the Senior Director SSA Consumer Solutions and CVP.
• Individual contributor role.
• Interacts regularly with management in Products, Country management, Sales, Finance, Legal, etc.  This individual is expected to comfortably present to and interact effectively with medium and senior Visa management and staff.
• This position will involve frequent interaction and communication with key Visa stakeholders, including financial institutions, government departments, processors, agents, merchants, and vendors.
• Must be able to work effectively in a matrix, cross-functional organization structure and participate in cross-functional projects, especially relating to innovation, benefits, loyalty, consumer experiences, product, and solution design and delivery.
• Strong interpersonal skills will be required to address on-going needs of a complex, matrix reporting structure.
• Multicultural sensitivity and interpersonal relationship management skills are essential including the ability to work effectively as part of a team.

Qualifications

Key Competencies

• Strong sales and solutioning skills
• Solid interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively within a matrix organization
• Understanding of loyalty platforms and how they work – business knowledge is a must and technical knowledge a plus
• Strong project management skills
• Product management skills (knowledge of product lifecycle, development, and implementation frameworks etc.)
• Strong analytical skills
• Systems thinking
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Self-directed and motivated
• Logical based reasoning and recommendations
• Service-delivery oriented
• Has an entrepreneurial spirit
• Results driven discipline

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• 5-7 years of experience spanning the areas of Product Management, Portfolio Management, Loyalty/Rewards, Analytics, Card Products and Payments
• Proven execution experience in a product management capacity, including product development and launch experience
• Strong knowledge of marketing, loyalty product management and portfolio management principles in financial services/retail banking/ payments arena
• Have prior experience of understanding loyalty platforms. Managing sales of technical platforms will be a plus
• Proven track record of successful plan execution in a fast-paced environment
• Proven ability to execute independently and operate successfully within a matrix/team environment
• Ability to interact effectively with external partners that include vendors, clients, government regulators
• Proficient user of all Microsoft Office products

Preferred Experience

• Master’s degree in Business or equivalent
• Demonstrable experience in developing, launching and/or managing loyalty/reward programs and/or consumer propositions
• Project management knowledge
• Strong PowerPoint knowledge, presentation, and communication skills
• Knowledge of Visa's system process is a plus
• International business experience is a plus