Principal ML Scientist

About the role

The Value-Added Services Product Development (VAS PD) team drives the diversification of our revenue with products that differentiate Visa network and deliver valuable solutions across other networks. The Visa Engage, Resolve, & Assist (VERA) team in VAS focuses on innovative, AI-driven solutions for issuers, merchants and fintechs.

The Chief Software Engineer - GenAI Platform in the VERA Product Development team will be responsible for leading the technology strategy, solution, and execution of initiatives that support our GenAI platform and our overall AI posture. This role is responsible for supporting and empowering AI efforts across VERA and Visa overall, with a focus on inference systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and drive the overall technical strategy and architecture, ensuring alignment with business goals while accelerating innovation and time to market.
• Architect, design, and code highly scalable, reliable, and secure distributed systems and platforms.
• Lead the adoption of Generative AI and Agentic AI to boost developer productivity, empower the underlying technologies to build innovative business solutions and products.
• Establish and promote best practices for software development, including CI/CD automation and DevOps, to improve efficiency and quality across the SSDLC.
• Actively contribute to critical projects by developing key modules, core frameworks, automation tools, and proof-of-concepts to validate emerging ideas and technologies.
• Provide technology leadership, especially in GenAI, and motivate high-performing engineering teams, setting clear priorities to achieve product and technology KPIs.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with security, privacy, governance, and business partners to deliver compliant, scalable, and reliable solutions that meet all non-functional requirements.
• Communicate technical strategy and engineering solutions effectively to diverse stakeholders, including executives and business units.
• Mentor and coach senior engineers and engineering managers, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous learning through brown bags, tech talks, and one-on-one sessions.
• Implement rigorous application development, testing, deployment, and monitoring practices to uphold architectural excellence and reliability standards.
• Adhere to Visa's Leadership Principles by promoting collaboration, acting as owner, and executing with excellence.

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

Basic Qualifications

*12 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor's Degree or at least 10 years of work experience with an Advanced degree (e.g. Masters/MBA /JD/MD), or a minimum of 5 years of work experience with a PhD

Preferred Qualifications

• *15 or more years of experience with a Bachelor's Degree or 12 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, or MD), PhD with 9+ years of experience
• *Technical Expertise: 15+ years in software engineering with a strong background in architecting large-scale, distributed systems. Proficiency in languages like Java, Python, or GoLang, and frameworks such as Spring,

• Node.js, React.
• Experience with RESTful and gRPC APIs, microservices, and event-driven systems.
• Strong skills in inference systems.

• *Generative AI & Agentic AI: Proven experience leveraging Generative AI and
• Agentic AI to support productivity improvements and product innovation.
• Familiarity with integrating AI solutions into existing platforms.
• *Security Expertise: Strong understanding of API security, data encryption, and
• Hardware Security Modules (HSMs). Experience in building secure applications and implementing security-first practices.
• *Database Skills: Proficiency in SQL and NoSQL databases (e.g., MSSQL,
• MongoDB). Experience with distributed caching technologies like Redis.
• *Cloud & DevOps: Hands-on experience with AWS, Azure, or GCP. Strong understanding of DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, containerization (Docker), and orchestration tools (Kubernetes).
• *SSDLC Automation: Demonstrated ability to automate SSDLC phases to improve efficiency and quality. Experience with automated testing frameworks, code quality tools, and delivery pipelines.

• *Architectural Leadership: Deep understanding of architectural patterns and best practices.
• Ability to balance short-term and long-term technological decisions aligned with business goals.
• Experience in designing and maintaining highly available (99.999%), reliable, active active critical systems.

• *Hands-On Attitude: Willingness to contribute directly to codebases and develop to validate new ideas and integrate beneficial emerging technologies.
• *Leadership & Communication: Proven ability to lead and mentor engineering teams, fostering a collaborative environment. Excellent communication skills to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.

*Additional Qualifications

Familiarity with compliance and regulatory requirements in the payments industry is a plus. Passion for staying current with industry trends and emerging technologies.

Pay and benefits

The estimated salary range for this position is $217,900.00 to $ 349,000.00 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.