Staff Research Scientist-Generative AI and Foundational Models

Company Description

Visa is a world leader in payments technology, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories, dedicated to uplifting everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

At Visa, you'll have the opportunity to create impact at scale — tackling meaningful challenges, growing your skills and seeing your contributions impact lives around the world. Join Visa and do work that matters — to you, to your community, and to the world.

Progress starts with you.

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 Staff Research Scientist will work with a growing team to advance the long-term research agenda in artificial intelligence and machine learning to extract actionable insights from transaction data, 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:

· Conduct research and development in the field of generative AI and foundation models.

· Design and implement novel algorithms, models, and AI Agents to advance the state-of-the-art in generative AI.

· Collaborate with cross-functional teams to explore applications of generative AI in various domains.

· Stay updated with the latest advancements and breakthroughs in the field of generative AI.

· Collect, preprocess, and analyze large-scale datasets for training and evaluation purposes.

· Evaluate and optimize models to improve their efficiency, scalability, and effectiveness.

· Publish research findings in top-tier conferences and journals.

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

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Ph.D in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, CIS/MIS, Data Science, Cybersecurity or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong background in machine learning, deep learning, and generative models.
• Strong publication record in top-tier conferences and journals
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python and familiarity with deep learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Experience in developing and implementing novel algorithms and models.
• Experience in developing AI Agents system

Additional Information

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.

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.

Visa will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable local law, including the requirements of Article 49 of the San Francisco Police Code.

U.S. APPLICANTS ONLY: The estimated salary range for this position is $169,100.00 to $270,800.00 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.

Client-provided location(s): Foster City, CA

Job ID: d4447692-f245-4e0a-a937-f90e5ca10ae0

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2026-01-30T20:20:26