Senior Manager AE Merchant Retail CoE📣 Job Ad

About Visa and the Role

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. We are seeking a Senior Manager AE - Merchant Retail CoE to join our team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This is a full-time position focused on driving impact within the retail payments ecosystem.

Role Purpose and Scope

The primary mission of this role is to develop and strengthen Merchant Partnerships within the retail segment across the CEMEA region. The Senior Manager will act as the regional Subject Matter Expert, responsible for delivering differentiated value to Visa’s top retail merchants. This involves leveraging data-driven insights, product expertise, commercialization strategies, and replicating best practices across various markets. The role requires close collaboration with local market teams, global product, consulting & analytics, and cross-border solutions to accelerate growth, increase wallet share, and foster innovation within the retail ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the retail Subject Matter Expert (SME) on industry trends, payment flows, and retail economics.
• Develop and execute customized account strategies, objectives, and plans to increase revenue and market share for selected strategic partner accounts in CEMEA.
• Conduct executive-level pitches and workshops.
• Manage RFP responses and negotiation strategies.
• Develop business casing and monetization models.
• Lead selected strategic regional or global retail merchant engagements directly.
• Identify, document, and replicate successful use cases across markets and retail verticals.
• Enable markets to operate more efficiently by providing templates, frameworks, benchmarks, and case studies.
• Build forums and communities of practice among retail specialists.
• Lead account and relationship management, along with the sales plan for these accounts, ensuring client business objectives are met.
• Support the development, negotiation, and signing of proposals by collaborating with various internal stakeholders and strategic partner executives.
• Own and manage a portfolio of Merchant Partnerships within the retail vertical, identifying new requirements, introducing new products/services, and growing the business.
• Conduct financial and business analysis of strategic opportunities for Visa capabilities that increase revenue for both parties.
• Serve as an internal and external thought leader, communicating Visa's and merchant partnership vision, strategy, and perspective.
• Partner with peers in other functional areas (*, marketing, analytics, risk, innovation) and across regional teams to execute projects.
• Continuously review the CEMEA landscape, identifying and developing partnerships, venture, or acquisition opportunities.

Required Experience and Expertise

This position requires a proven sales and business development expert with substantial experience in a B2B environment. Candidates should possess relevant experience in the credit cards issuing business, demonstrating a strong capability in managing client relationships, developing new business opportunities, and supporting the growth of retail merchants within the CEMEA region.

Collaboration and Strategic Impact

The role involves significant collaboration with diverse internal and external stakeholders, including local market teams, global product groups, consulting and analytics, and cross-border solutions. The Senior Manager will be instrumental in driving strategic initiatives, fostering innovation, and ensuring the successful execution of projects that contribute to Visa's growth and market leadership in the retail payments sector.

Work Environment

This full-time role is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, offering an opportunity to contribute to a global leader in payments technology. Visa values dynamic thinkers who bring fresh perspectives and creativity to tackle meaningful challenges within the payments landscape.