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

The Senior Counsel role sits within a supportive, hard-working and fun Europe and International Privacy, Data, AI and Cyber Legal Team which forms part of Visa’s Global Privacy Office. In this role, reporting to the Senior Managing Counsel and DPO, you will be a senior lawyer providing strategic legal advice, overseeing the effective operation of our Global Privacy Program and ensuring compliance with privacy, data, AI and cyber laws and regulations.

The Senior Counsel will be responsible for leading the delivery of efficient, effective and high-quality legal support to the business on privacy, data, AI and cyber matters.

The core competencies for the role are:

1. Strategic Partner & Client Focus
2. Expertise & Business Knowledge
3. Leadership
4. Communication
5. Intellectual Curiosity and Judgement

What we expect from you will differ according to your role and where you are in your career, but we look for people who have the ability and aptitude to succeed against these key competencies.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide direction, leadership and strategic legal advice on privacy and data protection laws, including GDPR, EU AI Act, and other relevant regulations.
• Provide legal guidance on privacy impacts assessments and new, innovative, complex data and AI use cases.
• Act as a subject-matter expert on mergers and acquisitions and corporate ventures.
• Manage complex data subject rights requests
• Monitor and respond to privacy-related inquiries and complaints.
• Lead incident response efforts for data breaches and other privacy incidents, updating senior management as needed.
• Stay updated on emerging privacy laws and trends to ensure ongoing compliance and participate in external forums.
• Build relationships with key business partners, working closely with them to meet their business needs in terms of privacy legal support in an efficient way.
• Develop and maintain privacy policies, procedures, and training programs.
• Draft, negotiate, and manage privacy-related contracts and agreements.
• Partner with Government Engagement teams to assess new laws, regulations, regulatory consultations and guidance.
• Actively look for opportunities to streamline and improve the delivery of privacy legal support, regulatory change management and knowledge sharing.
• Play an active part in contributing to the development of the Global Privacy Program.
• Identify privacy, data, AI and cyber issues and liaise when necessary, with internal members of the broader Legal, Ethics and Compliance Division, and/or external counsel.
• Proactively contribute to the Global Privacy Office planning, cohesion, consistency in advice, and the general efficiency and effectiveness of the Global Privacy Office as a whole.

This is a hybrid position. Hybrid employees can alternate time between both remote and office. Employees in hybrid roles are expected to work from the office 2-3 set days a week (determined by leadership/site), with a general guidepost of being in the office 50% or more of the time based on business needs.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer in Ireland with extensive PQE experience.  We will consider candidates who have qualified in other jurisdictions.
• Previous substantial and demonstrable privacy and AI legal subject-matter expert experience.
• Strong academics and training including legal drafting and negotiating, and relationship management.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills along with a demonstrated ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrable analytical capabilities and attention to detail.
• Ability to work in a team environment as well as on own initiative.
• Ability to prioritise and manage a varied and busy workload.
• Positive attitude, high level of integrity and intellectual curiosity with a passion for novel and complex privacy, data, cyber and AI issues.
• Fluent in English.

Desirable Skills:

• In-house experience (secondment or permanent role).
• Previous experience of working within a technology and digital legal environment.
• Knowledge of fintech and payments industry (and applicable regulation).
• Previous experience of cross-border and multi-jurisdictional privacy issues.
• Additional European language (French desirable).
• One or more CIPP qualifications.

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.