At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic deal insights and enhance processes using AI for impactful financial analysis.
- Company: Join Visa, a global leader in payments technology, making a difference worldwide.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, diverse work culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with strong career advancement potential.
- Why this job: Shape the future of finance while working on innovative projects that matter.
- Qualifications: Degree in a quantitative field; experience with AI tools and financial analysis required.
The predicted salary is between 60750 - 74250 £ per year.
About Us
Visa is a world leader in payments technology, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories, dedicated to uplifting everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid. At Visa, you'll have the opportunity to create impact at scale — tackling meaningful challenges, growing your skills and seeing your contributions impact lives around the world. Join Visa and do work that matters – to you, to your community, and to the world. Progress starts with you.
Role Purpose:
The role of Senior Manager, Strategic Deal Insights & Process Excellence in the CI Deals Finance team is to provide in-depth analysis, executive level insight and subject matter expertise in respect of the performance of incentive agreements, and the profitability of clients while leveraging AI to enhance the overall process.
- Analyse key client deal performance against targets, forecasted volumes, and associated revenues to determine the net profitability of clients' Visa business.
- Develop high-impact deal reporting and executive briefing documents for senior stakeholders, including global decision-making forums (EDR and GPIC), contributing to strategies that drive client profitability.
- Serve as the subject matter authority on deal insight reporting, driving improvements in the speed, quality, and strategic value of deal decision-making across Client Incentive Deals.
- Report directly to the Senior Director, Head of Deals MI, Governance and Process Improvement, and present to senior executives on deal performance, client profitability, and AI initiatives to enhance executive-level insights.
Key Accountabilities:
- Deal Performance Analysis & Reporting: Lead analysis and reporting on client contract performance using GARP, assessing deals against business case plans in partnership with client engagement teams. Analyse net yields and client profitability across portfolio dimensions (domestic vs cross-border, CNP, regulated markets) to identify opportunities to enhance profitability. Communicate financial risks and upsides to decision-makers; provide commercial insight for new deals, challenging modelling assumptions to ensure robust projections. Deliver European yield analysis and reporting on yield compression to EDR (Regional President, European CFO, GCMs).
- AI-Driven Process Improvement & Automation: Design and implement AI-driven solutions to eliminate inefficiencies across MI workflows, from deal structuring to post-deal tracking. Oversee automated deal reporting to deliver insights to senior leadership; drive step-change improvements in executive-level reporting for EDR and GPIC.
- Management Information (MI) & Data Governance: Own the deal MI database, ensuring completeness, integrity, and traceability of all contracted deals. Expand MI coverage for pre- and post-contract tracking, using AI to derive insights from structured and unstructured data. Define and standardise methodologies for revenue/incentive allocations, model reconciliations, and backend data analysis.
- Executive Reporting & Strategic Deliverables: Deliver reporting for GPIC and senior finance stakeholders: monthly Win/Loss, quarterly Non-Compliance, Deal Pipeline, and annual Post-Mortem Analysis. Create compelling executive slide decks that guide stakeholders through analysis and recommendations; present to senior leaders at EDR.
- Global Projects & Systems Implementation: Serve as European lead for MI workstreams on Global DPT and deal standardisation projects. Implement deal upload, tracking, and dashboard strategies for the deal performance tracking system; collaborate with tech teams on data views and Europe-specific insights. Manage historic model uploads to DPT, monitor status, and validate KPIs for system integration accuracy.
- Stakeholder Leadership & Enablement: Partner with CI Ops, FP&A, Sales Excellence, AEs, Cluster CFOs, and commercial stakeholders to deliver deal performance reporting. Act as trusted advisor on deal insights and MI processes; lead relationships with Revenue & Commercial Operations, Global Projects, and third-party vendors. Drive adoption of AI-enabled processes and global transformation projects such as DPT through training, guidance, and best-practice leadership; provide project management aligned to strategic objectives.
Visa requires at least 3 days in office, expectations of these days will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager.
Qualifications
- Education & Professional Qualifications: Degree educated (2:1 or above preferred) in a quantitative field such as Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, or Engineering. Professional qualification preferred: CIMA, ACA, ACCA, CFA, or MBA.
- Technical & Analytical Skills: Advanced proficiency in Excel, VBA, PowerPoint, and Power BI; working knowledge of SQL and Python beneficial. Strong understanding of AI applications in finance, with advanced skills in enterprise AI tools (e.g. Microsoft Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT) for automation, data extraction, summarisation, and analytics. Ability to analyse, interpret, and improve complex financial models, presenting insights through clear visualisations (charts, graphs, dashboards). High level of computer literacy including experience with bespoke data repositories (e.g. GARP, GBI).
- AI & Process Improvement Experience: Proven experience applying AI tools to financial modelling, MI reporting, process improvement, and analysis of complex commercial agreements. Track record of embedding AI-enabled automation and insight generation within governed finance environments. Experience with Power BI AI capabilities, low-code automation tools, and emerging AI use cases in deal modelling or performance reporting.
- Commercial & Finance Experience: Significant experience in deal modelling, valuations, or commercial finance, ideally within payments, consulting, or financial services. Substantial experience running complex quantitative and qualitative analysis related to deal structures and associated P&Ls. Experience working within CI Ops, FP&A, or similar finance functions, with familiarity of finance reporting tools such as GARP. Demonstrated expertise in the payments business with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Leadership & Stakeholder Management: Senior-level experience in project management and process improvement, with proven ability to formulate and execute strategies that drive efficiency. Strong stakeholder management skills with ability to influence and negotiate at senior levels (VP, SVP, CFO). Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships across internal teams, external partners, and third-party vendors.
- Communication & Presentation: Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with ability to convey complex financial information clearly to technical and non-technical audiences. Skilled in creating compelling executive presentations that guide stakeholders through analysis to actionable recommendations.
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.
Summary Location: GB - London, United Kingdom Type: Full time
Senior Manager – Strategic Deal Insights & Process Excellence in Kennington employer: Visa
Visa is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic work culture, encouraging innovation and collaboration among its employees. With a strong focus on professional development, Visa offers numerous growth opportunities and the chance to work on cutting-edge financial technologies in a global environment. Located in a vibrant area, employees benefit from a supportive atmosphere that values diversity and inclusion, making it a rewarding place to build a meaningful career.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Manager – Strategic Deal Insights & Process Excellence in Kennington
✨Tip Number 1: Tap Into Professional Networks
The finance world loves a good connection, so jump into industry-specific groups on platforms like LinkedIn where you can find discussions on financial controlling. Engaging in these communities can expose you to hidden job leads that aren't openly advertised!
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We think you need these skills to ace Senior Manager – Strategic Deal Insights & Process Excellence in Kennington
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Numbers Game:In financial controlling, detail is everything! Make sure your CV showcases your proficiency with numbers—highlight any relevant experience in budgeting, forecasting, or working with financial software. Quantifying your past achievements will make you stand out, so don’t be shy about flaunting those impressive percentages or cost savings you've implemented.
Tailored Cover Letter is Key:Your cover letter is a chance to shine, especially for a full-time role. Use it to express your genuine interest in Visa and the specific impact you hope to make in financial controlling. Mention any relevant qualifications or experiences that align with the company’s goals, and don’t forget to show that you're ready for a long-term commitment!
Certifications Matter:List relevant certifications such as ACCA or CIMA on your CV. These qualifications not only showcase your dedication to the field but also your technical competence in financial principles. If you have any ongoing training or courses, make sure to mention those as well to demonstrate your commitment to continual learning in financial controlling.
Don’t Overlook Soft Skills:While numbers are crucial, so are those soft skills! Financial controllers need strong communication and analytical reasoning abilities. We recommend embedding examples of these skills in your CV and cover letter, like how you’ve successfully delivered financial reports to stakeholders or collaborated with teams to improve processes. Let’s show Visa how you can be a team player!
How to prepare for a job interview at Visa
✨Brush Up on Technical Skills
Make sure you're comfortable with key financial concepts, especially around forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis. Sometimes, interviewers may throw in technical questions or case studies, so practicing these types of scenarios will help you shine!
✨Showcase Your Financial Acumen
If you've had experience with specific financial software like SAP or Oracle, make it known! Be ready to discuss how you used these tools to improve processes or reporting, as this hands-on knowledge can really set you apart in a full-time role with Visa.
✨Know Your Numbers
In full-time interviews, especially in financial controlling, be prepared for numerical reasoning tests or questions. Brush up on your mental maths and understand how to interpret and analyse financial statements on the spot, as this may come up during the assessment.
✨Connect with Company Goals
Familiarise yourself with Visa's financial objectives and any recent developments. During the interview, try to weave your understanding of their business model and challenges into your answers—this shows your genuine interest and alignment with their goals!
