Corporate Relations Director

Company Description

Visa is a world leader in payments and technology, with over 259 billion payments transactions flowing safely between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities in more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive while driven by a common purpose – to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

Make an impact with a purpose-driven industry leader. Join us today and experience Life at Visa.

Job Description

Team Summary

The Corporate Communications team in Japan is a strategic and high performing function that reports into Visa’s Asia Pacific and Global Corporate Communications function, as well as local market leadership. We create and deliver communications programs that drive Visa’s business growth and advance and protect the company’s reputation. We work across external, client and employee communications activities to promote Visa’s ongoing strategy to extend our payments network into new areas of opportunity and position ourselves as the partner of choice for our partners including financial institutions, merchants, fintechs, technology companies, consumers and governments. The role is part of Visa’s Global Corporate Communications group, which oversees all corporate communications functions at Visa Inc., including media relations, industry analyst relations, public affairs and issues management.

What a Director, Corporate Communications, Japan does at Visa:

In this role, you will be delivering on all aspects of our communications programs both internal and external stakeholders for Japan. The successful candidate will:

• With the guidance of Head of Corporate Communications and by working closely with business partners (internal/external), develop communications strategies that support Visa’s business objectives and drive growth

• Lead the development and delivery of informative and engaging employee communications activities including employee communications programs and staff volunteering events

• Support the execution of Visa’s external communication programs including:

  • Developing the strategy and managing the execution of media engagements

  • Identifying and maximizing opportunities to enhance Visa’s profile in the media 

  • Developing content to promote Visa’s brand, technical and industry leadership, new products and services

  • Establishing and maintaining close relationships with journalists across general, business, lifestyle and technology media 

  • Ensuring spokespeople are well briefed and trained to deliver key messages

  • Ensuring Visa’s senior management are seen as trusted authorities by the local media

  • Creating opportunities for the Country Manager and other key management to obtain high, positive profiling in top tier broadcast, print and digital media

• Provide executive communication support to the Country Manager across a variety of internal, external, client, and media communications opportunities

• Work with business functions to make sure that the impactful communications are delivered to tell the value of Visa.

• Work closely with the Marketing team to ensure corporate communications and marketing programs are aligned and a coordinated approach is being taken to leverage Visa’s assets 

• Work with the Government Engagement function to support Visa’s public policy position

• Collaborate closely with colleagues across Visa Asia Pacific’s Corporate Communications team to ensure cohesive communications strategy and messaging 

• Monitor and manage the agency/business partner on programs we work together and ensure delivery against the identified goals and scope set for each agency/partner.

Why this is important to Visa

As the Visa network evolves beyond plastic cards into a network of networks that can facilitate money movement to anyone, anywhere, it is essential to our long-term success that we communicate this evolution to all our constituents and define Visa as a purpose-driven payments technology company that enables individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive. We are seeking a high performing candidate charged with all aspects of corporate communication for critical business functions in Japan – areas that are focused on maintaining Visa’s leadership in future of commerce in an increasingly complex operating environment.

This is a hybrid position. Expectation of days in office will be confirmed by your hiring manager.

Qualifications

What do you need

• Minimum 12 years' experience in communications (agency or in-house), a relevant degree, and a deep understanding of social and digital communications channels
• Excellent verbal communication, including interpersonal and presentation skills
• Exceptional writing and editing skills that you can adapt for different formats and audiences both in Japanese and English
• Keen interest in macroeconomic trends and local payment developments to be able to create insightful thought leadership for senior executives
• Proven track record in adapting communications strategies in Japan is crucial.
• Big-picture mindset about campaign resonance with different audiences and collaborate with colleagues in bringing these stories to life
• Technical expertise in the tools of communications, including all Microsoft
• Office programs and social media engagement and amplification.
• A hands-on, proactive energetic approach, and a passion to make a difference
• through communications

What may also help

• Strong intellectual curiosity
• Excellent business acumen
• Creative, solution-oriented problem solving
• Flexible thinker, with the ability to make decisions based on limited or changing information and adapt plans at the speed of a news cycle
• Ability to build a strong network of colleagues across various levels in functions and geographies
• Ability to uncover newsworthy information that might be hiding in pockets of the organization while providing guidance to stakeholders on the information which would be most relevant to the outside world

Additional Information

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.