Vice President, AI Product Strategy/Development for Payment Operations

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

Vice President, AI Product Strategy/Development for Payment Operations

Overview
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments, and businesses realize their greatest potential.

The Services Business represents over a third of Mastercard revenues and is a key differentiator for Mastercard. Services use our unique and proprietary data, technology, insights and expertise to deliver solutions that meet the needs of our customers. Services is critical for the sustained, long-term growth of Mastercard.

Within the Services organization, this role sits within the Business & Markets Insights (BMI) organization. The Business & Market Insights vertical is focused on creating products and solutions that create value for customers through Analytics, Insights, Business Experimentation, and Payment Consulting & Innovation.

The VP of AI Product Strategy and Development will develop the AI vision and strategy of one of the largest product portfolios within BMI focused on payment operations. Agentic AI solutions are expected to grow at a rapid pace over the next several years and this role will be at the center of enabling payment companies use AI to automate and scale their operations to drive efficiencies. This role will lead the development of new experiences for the portfolio products leveraging Agentic AI and other new AI technologies working closely with the product and engineering teams.

This role requires a strong mix of strategic vision, AI/ML fluency, product leadership, and market orientation. You will be responsible for identifying market opportunities, shaping differentiated product strategies, partnering across Mastercard and with external AI players, and executing a roadmap that positions the group as a category leader in applied AI.
Role
• Define and execute the long-term AI Product Vision and Strategy of one of the largest product portfolios within BMI focused on payment operations
• Engage with customers to understand desired engagement with existing products and create new AI use cases leveraging agentic AI and emerging AI technologies
• Identify new AI use cases in payment operations not serviced by current products based on customer discussions
• Partner with the engineering/technology teams to develop the data/technology architecture for AI enablement
• Define the product requirements for the new AI solutions by working closely with product teams
• Identify and manage strategic partnerships with AI startups, and technology providers to leverage external innovation into the offerings

• Collaborate with the engineering teams to build the solutions. Oversee timely and high-quality execution of creation of technical requirements
• Manage and mentor a group of Product Managers and Designers through the product development lifecycle
• Serve as an agentic AI SME for the rest of the business and develop talent/expertise
• Guide major product investment decisions related to AI and represent progress against product goals and development to business leaders and key stakeholders
• Manage the design and execution of user research, including customer interviews, in order to deepen the teams understanding of customers’ pain points, motivations and opportunities
• Build strong working relationships with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders to achieve product goals

All About You
• Experience in product development with at least 3 years developing AI enabled products with one year developing Agentic AI solutions
• Deep understanding of latest AI technologies and platform/solution providers with the aim of recommending the most optimal path of building the solutions
• Proven ability to define and execute bold, forward-looking product strategies that drive product transformation
• Strong track record of influencing and collaborating across diverse teams including product, engineering, strategy, and commercial functions
• Ability to balance visionary thinking with disciplined execution, including governance, resource planning, and performance measurement.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to inspire teams, influence senior stakeholders, and represent Mastercard externally.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: A builder and innovator who thrives in fast-paced environments and is energized by creating what’s next.
• Experience managing and motivating a high performing product development team
• Knowledge and skills using product management tools
• Highly organized and able to deal with multiple and competing priorities
• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field (e.g. Computer Science, Engineering); advanced degree a plus
• Experience in payments especially operations a plus

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 based on location, experience and other qualifications for the role and may be eligible for an annual bonus or commissions depending on the role. 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 new parent leave, up to 20 paid days bereavement leave), 10 annual paid sick days, 10 or more annual paid vacation days based on level, 5 personal days, 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, gender-inclusive benefits and many more.

Pay Ranges

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