Lead Research Scientist

Company Description

Visa is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating more than 215 billion payments transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across 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.

When you join Visa, you join a culture of purpose and belonging – where your growth is priority, your identity is embraced, and the work you do matters. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere. Your work will have a direct impact on billions of people around the world – helping unlock financial access to enable the future of money movement.

Join Visa: A Network Working for Everyone.

Job Description

Visa Research conducts applied and fundamental research and was created to lead the company in pushing the boundaries of payment related technologies on a global scale. We engage with the company's numerous technology and product teams, world-wide business partners, academics, and governments, to explore and develop technologies that will shape the future of the payments industry and impact the lives of billions of people.  

The Lead Research Scientist will work with a team to advance the long-term research agenda in trustworthy AI, as well as deliver innovative technologies and insights to Visa's strategic products and business. This role represents an exciting opportunity to make key contributions to Visa's strategic vision as a world-leading data-driven company. The successful candidate must have strong academic track record and demonstrate excellent software engineering skills. The successful candidate will be a self-starter comfortable with ambiguity, with strong attention to detail, and excellent collaboration skills.

Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the long-term research agenda in Trustworthy AI and address fundamental challenges in fairness, explainability, robustness, and privacy.
• Develop prototypes and proofs of concepts to demonstrate the research technologies on real-world problems.
• Deliver high-impact intellectual property values through research publications and patents.
• Collaborate with team members to deliver innovative technologies, insights and products to Visa business units to resolve their significant product pain-points and create new growth opportunities.
• Collaborate with our partners in academia, industry and government on key initiatives to advance our research goals.
• Foster in-depth and productive relationships at all levels with team members and clients internally and externally. 

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• 2 years of experience with a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science or related fields.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• 3 years of experience with a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science or related fields.
• Demonstrated research expertise in machine learning, deep learning, and privacy enhanced technology.
• Deep knowledge in one or several of the following areas: ethical AI, fairness in AI, model interpretation and visualization, adversarial attacks and defenses in AI models, privacy-preserving AI, differential privacy, federated learning, etc.
• Proven track record of high-quality research publications at top academic conferences and journals.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to think outside the box and innovate.
• Strong programming skill in Python or other object-oriented language is a plus.
• Demonstrated research project/program management experience is a plus.
• Experience in payments or related industry is a plus.

Additional Information

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, and reach with hands and arms.

Work Hours Incumbent must make themselves available during core business hours.

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.