VP, Data & AI Strategy & Design

Our Purpose

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

Title and Summary

VP, Data & AI Strategy & Design

Role Summary
The AI and Data Strategy organization (Chief AI and Data Office) is responsible for driving innovation through advanced AI and data capabilities across Mastercard’s product and consulting teams. The VP, Data and AI Strategy Lead, will champion AI-driven transformation, focusing on leadership, influence, and the facilitation of AI design workshops and documentation. This role is pivotal in shaping Mastercard’s strategy for both Business to Business (B2B) commercial payments and consumer payments, with a strong emphasis on agentic design thinking.
________________________________________
Key Responsibilities
• Lead and Influence: Provide visionary leadership across product teams and business units, driving adoption of AI including agentic design thinking in payments innovation.
• AI Design Thinking: Champion AI design thinking methodologies to unlock innovative solutions and drive business impact.
• Facilitate AI Design Workshops: Organize and lead AI design workshops, fostering collaboration and creativity to develop actionable frameworks and solutions.
• Draft AI Design Documents: Author and maintain comprehensive AI design documents that guide product development and strategic decision-making.
• Data Strategy and Management: Embed data design thinking and strategies, ensuring high-quality data acquisition, governance, and utilization to support AI and payments innovation.
• Strategic Partnerships: Build and nurture strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to advance Mastercard’s AI and data strategy.
• Thought Leadership: Serve as a subject matter expert in AI & Data, sharing insights and best practices to elevate organizational knowledge and capability.
• Technical & Infrastructure Expertise: Assess and defines the high level technical and infrastructure requirements necessary to build and deploy robust AI designs, including cloud platforms, data pipelines, integration frameworks, and security protocols.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with technology, product, finance, and operations teams to ensure AI solutions are feasible, scalable, and aligned with business objectives.
• Payments Expertise: Apply deep understanding of card payments, with strong preference for experience in both B2B commercial payments and consumer payments.
• Governance and Compliance: Collaborate with legal, privacy, and regulatory teams to ensure responsible and ethical use of AI and data assets.
________________________________________
All About You
• Advanced expertise in AI, GenAI, & Agentic AI to drive innovative payment product designs.
• Strong understanding in data strategy, management, and governance.
• Exceptional leadership and influencing skills, with a proven track record of driving change and building consensus.
• Strong interpersonal and networking abilities; adept at building relationships across diverse teams and geographies.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating AI design workshops and drafting AI design documents.
• Experience applying AI design thinking to solve complex business challenges, inclusive of Generative AI and Agentic.
• High level understanding of technical and infrastructure requirements for AI solutions.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; able to present complex concepts clearly and persuasively.
• Card payments experience is strongly preferred, with deep knowledge of both B2B commercial payments and consumer payments.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, data science, engineering, technology, or equivalent experience.

Mastercard is a merit-based, inclusive, equal opportunity employer that considers applicants without regard to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disabled or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We hire the most qualified candidate for the role. In the US or Canada, if you require accommodations or assistance to complete the online application process or during the recruitment process, please contact reasonable_accommodation@mastercard.com and identify the type of accommodation or assistance you are requesting. Do not include any medical or health information in this email. The Reasonable Accommodations team will respond to your email promptly.

Corporate Security Responsibility

All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must:

• Abide by Mastercard’s security policies and practices;

• Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;

• Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and

• Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard’s guidelines.

In line with Mastercard’s total compensation philosophy and assuming that the job will be performed in the US, the successful candidate will be offered a competitive base salary and may be eligible for an annual bonus or commissions depending on the role. The base salary offered may vary depending on multiple factors, including but not limited to location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Mastercard benefits for full time (and certain part time) employees generally include: insurance (including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, disability, life insurance); flexible spending account and health savings account; paid leaves (including 16 weeks of new parent leave and up to 20 days of bereavement leave); 80 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time, 25 days of vacation time and 5 personal days, pro-rated based on date of hire; 10 annual paid U.S. observed holidays; 401k with a best-in-class company match; deferred compensation for eligible roles; fitness reimbursement or on-site fitness facilities; eligibility for tuition reimbursement; and many more. Mastercard benefits for interns generally include: 56 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time; jury duty leave; and on-site fitness facilities in some locations.

Pay Ranges

O'Fallon, Missouri: $194,000 - $310,000 USD

Purchase, New York: $223,000 - $357,000 USD