Senior Associate Counsel

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.

Job Description

Visa is seeking a proactive product and commercial lawyer to join as Senior Associate Counsel supporting Visa’s Commercial & Money Move Solutions organization (CMS).

This role is on Visa’s growing and dynamic Commercial & Money Movement Solutions (CMS) Commercial Legal Team. The CMS Commercial Legal Team works at the cutting edge of new payment technologies, innovation and the fintech industry in an increasingly regulated environment, which brings unique and novel challenges and opportunities every day.

Applicants must be skilled at managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced and challenging, but highly rewarding, environment, have good judgment and strong analytical, organizational, client counseling, and negotiation skills, be self-motivated, and be an optimistic, curious, and collaborative team player.

What we expect of you day to day

• Serve as a lead commercial lawyer for Visa’s North America CMS business, providing practical, risk-based legal advice on the drafting, review, negotiation, and interpretation of a wide range of customer, partner, vendor, and strategic commercial agreements.
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex agreements, including framework agreements, program terms, pilots, statements of work, amendments, and related forms, with a focus on clear, scalable, and commercially workable contract language.
• Partner closely with business, sales, product, compliance, privacy, and regional legal teams to structure transactions, resolve contractual issues, and support business objectives while appropriately managing legal and regulatory risk.
• Advise stakeholders on key commercial contract provisions, including scope, liability allocation, indemnities, data use, intellectual property, and other core risk areas.
• Support contract strategy and negotiations by identifying issues early, proposing pragmatic solutions, and helping drive alignment across internal stakeholders and counterparties.
• Develop, refine, and maintain templates, playbooks, fallback positions, and guidance materials to improve consistency, efficiency, and quality in commercial contracting.
• Provide training and day-to-day counseling to business teams on contracting processes, negotiation approaches, and recurring legal issues relevant to commercial transactions.
• Manage regulatory support and assess how changes in the legal or regulatory landscape may affect contract positions, deal structures, and business operations.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across regions and functions, and engage outside counsel where appropriate, to support cross-border matters and specialized legal issues.
• Contribute proactively to the Legal and Compliance Department’s broader objectives by promoting consistency in contracting positions, sharing know-how, and supporting continuous improvement of legal processes.

This is a hybrid position. Expectation of days in the office will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• 5 years of relevant experience.
• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school.
• Current member in good standing of a State Bar with the ability to become barred or a registered in-house counsel in the state where this role is located.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 4 or more years of relevant experience with the JD
• What we’re after…
• Qualified lawyer in the United States with 5 or more years of relevant work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree and JD.
• Previous experience of working within a regulated business.
• Demonstrable experience at a recognized law firm and/or in-house environment.
• Strong academics and training, including legal drafting and negotiating, and relationship management.
• Proven ability to work with a diverse team to build effective working relationships with internal clients at all levels
• Experience with cross-functional and/or cross-regional teams
• Strong academic credentials
• Excellent analytical, problem solving and communication skills, including the ability to translate complex legal concepts into business-oriented advice
• Experience drafting and negotiating and/or litigating complex commercial transactions
• Self-starter who can work independently, effectively, and collegially on a small legal team
• Ability to successfully prioritize and oversee a large number of matters
• Developed business acumen, with the ability to understand the company’s business interests and anticipate the nature and magnitude of issues that could arise in a fast-paced environment
• Background and knowledge of some or all of the following is preferred: the payment services industry and related credit and debit processing industries; the legal and regulatory landscape governing, in particular, credit and debit cards; intellectual property law; and/or antitrust and competition law
• Knowledge of the payments industry (and applicable regulation) or financial services environment, including non-card payments.
• Previous experience of cross-border and multi-jurisdictional products and services.

U.S. Applicants Only

The estimated salary range for this position is $180,600 to $289,300 USD per year, which may include potential sales incentive payments (if applicable). Salary may vary depending on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this position may be eligible for bonus and equity.Visa has a comprehensive benefits package for which this position may be eligible that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), FSA/HSA, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, and Wellness Program.

Work Hours

Varies upon the needs of the department.

Travel Requirements

This position requires travel 5-10% of the time.

Mental/Physical Requirements

This position will be performed in an office setting. The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, frequently operate standard office equipment, such as telephones and computers.

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 protect veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the EEOC guidelines and applicable local law, including the requirements of Article 49 of the San Francisco Police Code.