Staff Research Scientist

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.

Visa Research conducts both applied and fundamental research to push the boundaries of technologies relevant to the future of commerce, security, and payments at global scale. We partner with Visa’s technology and product organizations, global business units, academic institutions, industry partners, and government agencies to explore and develop transformative technologies that can shape the future of financial services and impact billions of people worldwide.

Visa is establishing a new Quantum Computing Center of Excellence in Singapore as part of its long-term commitment to building leading capabilities in quantum information science and its applications to critical areas such as payments, security, and financial systems. The Singapore center will serve as a strategic hub for advanced research, technical innovation, and ecosystem engagement in one of the world’s most dynamic research environments.

As a Staff Research Scientist in Quantum Computing, you will join a growing team advancing Visa’s long-term research agenda in quantum information and computation. This role is designed for scientists who are excited to contribute to cutting-edge research and help build new capabilities from the ground up.

You will conduct high-quality research in quantum computing, with emphasis on areas relevant to financial services, payments, and security. Depending on your background, your work may involve quantum algorithms, optimization, machine learning, cryptography, simulation, or related topics. You will collaborate closely with other researchers and cross-functional partners, contribute to technical prototypes and scientific publications, and help establish the Singapore center as a strong and visible part of Visa’s global research organization.

This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career researcher who wants to work on challenging, high-impact problems at the intersection of advanced science, computation, and real-world applications.

Responsibilities

• Conduct applied and fundamental research in quantum information and computation, with emphasis on areas relevant to finance, payments, security, and related domains.
• Design, implement, and evaluate quantum algorithms, models, and prototypes to advance the state of the art.
• Contribute to research projects from idea generation through experimentation, analysis, and synthesis of results.
• Collaborate with researchers across Visa Research, as well as with cross-functional partners in technology, product, and business teams where appropriate.
• Stay current with advances in quantum computing and adjacent fields, and help assess their relevance to Visa’s research agenda.
• Publish research findings in leading journals and conferences, and present work internally and externally.
• Support a strong collaborative research culture, including mentoring interns and contributing to team knowledge sharing.
• Engage with external collaborators in academia, industry, and the broader research ecosystem as opportunities arise.

This is a hybrid position. Expectation of days in the office will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager. 

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or at least 2 years of work experience with an Advanced degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 0 years of work experience with a PhD, OR 8+ years of relevant work experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Strong foundation in quantum computing, quantum information, or a closely related area.
• 1-2 years of post Ph.D. or equivalent research experience in academia, industry, or a government research environment.
• Expertise in one or more of the following areas: quantum algorithms, quantum optimization, quantum machine learning, quantum cryptography, quantum simulation, quantum error correction, quantum information theory or other areas of quantum information science relevant to financial or enterprise applications.  
• Interest in applying quantum computing to problems relevant to finance, payments, security, or related areas. 
• Experience implementing and evaluating algorithms through simulation and, where applicable, on quantum hardware.
• Solid programming and software development skills, including coding, debugging, and version control.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical work clearly.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative research environment. High quality publication record in reputable journals or conferences, commensurate with career stage.