Full-Time

Lead Data Architect

Updated on 7/26/2026

Visa

Visa

10,001+ employees

Global digital payments network processing transactions

Compensation Overview

$173.1k - $276.8k/yr

+ Bonus + Equity

Austin, TX, USA

Hybrid

Hybrid role requiring at least three days in office per week.

Category
Data & Analytics (1)
Required Skills
Microsoft Azure
Apache Kafka

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Requirements
  • 10+ years of relevant work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree
  • at least 7 years of work experience with an Advanced degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD)
  • 4 years of work experience with a PhD
  • OR 13+ years of relevant work experience.
Responsibilities
  • Design and govern real-time and event‑driven data architectures leveraging Apache Kafka and Azure streaming services (e.g., Azure Event Hubs with Kafka compatibility, Azure Stream Analytics)
  • Define and maintain end‑to‑end data architecture patterns across real‑time, near‑real‑time, and batch processing paradigms
  • Develop and maintain reference architectures, data flow diagrams, and technical standards to guide platform and delivery teams
  • Partner closely with Data Engineering, Platform, and Enterprise Architecture teams to deliver solutions that are scalable, secure, well‑governed, and compliant
  • Lead proofs of concept (PoCs) and technology evaluations, providing clear architectural recommendations and trade‑off analyses
Desired Qualifications
  • 12 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or 8-10 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 6+ years of work experience with a PhD
  • 8+ years’ experience as a Data Architect or Senior Data Engineer, operating in complex enterprise environments
  • Deep expertise in Streaming architectures, including managed or commercial distributions (e.g., Kafka‑compatible Azure Event Hubs or Confluent on Azure)
  • Strong hands‑on experience with Azure data and analytics platforms, such as:
  • Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 / Azure Blob Storage
  • Azure Event Hubs
  • Azure Data Factory
  • Azure Synapse Analytics
  • Azure Functions
  • Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) or Azure Container Apps
  • Proven experience designing and delivering both streaming and batch data solutions at enterprise scale.
  • Excellent documentation, communication, and stakeholder‑management skills, with the ability to influence across technical and non‑technical audiences.
  • Nice to Have
  • Experience with Databricks, AWS and Apache Airflow (or equivalent orchestration and transformation tools).
  • Prior experience in Banking or financial services, particularly in architecture roles within regulated environments.

Visa operates a global digital payments network that connects consumers, businesses, banks, and governments to enable electronic card payments. Its system moves money through a card-based flow: a merchant request, card authorization via Visa, funds settlement between banks, and data processing, with fees earned on transactions and services. The company differentiates itself with its worldwide network, large client base, and partnerships that expand access to digital payments while supporting sustainable commerce. Its goal is to widen financial inclusion and provide convenient, secure electronic payments for a growing share of global commerce.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

$9.6M

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Founded

1958

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Agentic commerce can expand Visa’s payment rails into AI-driven checkout.
  • Visa’s scale and reliability support recurring transaction-fee growth.
  • Tokenization and fraud controls strengthen mobile, tap, and digital-click payments.

What critics are saying

  • Apple Pay, Google Pay, and open banking can bypass Visa card volume.
  • Stablecoin and crypto-native rails threaten Visa’s fee-per-transaction model.
  • Regulatory pressure on network fees directly compresses Visa’s core monetization.

What makes Visa unique

  • VisaNet powers fast, secure digital payments across 200 countries and territories.
  • Visa processes authorization, clearing, and settlement through one centralized, modular network.
  • Visa Ventures backed Nekuda, signaling interest in agentic payment infrastructure.

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Benefits

Health Insurance.

Life Insurance.

Dental Insurance.

Disability Insurance.

Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance.

Company News

TechCabal
Aug 12th, 2025
HoneyCoin raises $4.9M for expansion

Kenyan fintech HoneyCoin raised $4.9 million in seed funding to expand its stablecoin cross-border payment services into Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Led by Flourish Ventures, the round included TLcom Capital, Stellar Development Foundation, and Visa Ventures. HoneyCoin processes $150 million monthly, serving 350 enterprise clients. The funds will be used to hire executives, secure licenses, and expand into new markets, with plans for new products by Q3 2025.

Business Wire
May 15th, 2025
Nekuda Raises $5M Led by Madrona, Together with Amex Ventures and Visa Ventures, to Power Agentic Payments

Nekuda raises $5M led by Madrona, Amex Ventures & Visa Ventures to power agentic aayments. For the infrastructure of the future of online commerce.

Forbes
May 6th, 2025
Visa Invests in BVNK, $50M Funding

Visa Ventures has invested in stablecoin infrastructure platform BVNK, marking Visa's first direct investment in a stablecoin payments player. This move supports the future of stablecoins in payments, enhancing BVNK's credibility and penetration with Visa's partners. BVNK, which raised $50 million in a Series B round in December 2024, processes $12 billion in annualized volume and offers solutions for B2B and B2C payments using stablecoins.