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

Senior Managing Consultant/Director, AI Strategy (Financial Services)

Position Overview

Reporting to the Principal and working closely with the Mastercard AI team, the Senior Managing Consultant, AI Strategy will spearhead AI-driven consulting engagements for clients—especially card issuers and other financial services organizations. You will lead multidisciplinary teams of data scientists, ML engineers, and business strategists to develop long term strategies to build AI solutions and implement AI solutions that transform how clients approach analytics, automation, and value generation.

In this role, you will:
1.\tShape and deliver AI strategies that address complex business challenges for payments-centric companies.
2.\tAdvance the firm’s AI capabilities through consistent thought leadership, external outreach, and the development of new service offerings.
3.\tMentor and grow junior colleagues, fostering a collaborative team culture around innovative AI methodologies.

Key Responsibilities

1. Develop AI-Driven Strategies for Business Impact
•\tIdentify high-impact opportunities for AI and analytics within client organizations, particularly in card issuing and payments.
•\tQuantify the full value potential of AI solutions, detailing the value levers, critical dependencies, and feasibility pathways to maximize ROI.
•\tArchitect end-to-end AI solutions by combining expertise in data engineering, solution design, and domain-specific knowledge (e.g., credit card issuing).
•\tSecure Alignment from executive stakeholders, translating ambitious AI visions into actionable plans with clear timelines, deliverables, and success metrics.
•\tScale effective AI initiatives across multiple use cases, proactively addressing technical or organizational hurdles to ensure widespread adoption.
2. Lead Rapid, Iterative AI Delivery
•\tPartner with AI and ML engineering leaders to oversee project roadmaps, ensuring iterative versioning, pilot rollouts, and timely stakeholder updates.
•\tCollaborate closely with business leaders to co-own solutions, gather continuous feedback, and adjust scopes for maximum business value.
•\tDrive a balanced approach to problem-solving, focusing on both technical feasibility and strategic payoff—avoiding unnecessary complexity.
•\tAugment client teams by providing change management and AI expertise, ensuring full realization of value and adoption of best practices.
3. Expand Thought Leadership & External Network
•\tPublish and present on cutting-edge AI methods and industry insights—e.g., through whitepapers, case studies, conference keynotes, and journal articles.
•\tBuild an external network of AI experts, industry leaders, and academic partners to keep the firm at the forefront of emerging AI trends.
•\tAdvise on best practices around AI ethics, governance, and regulatory considerations in financial services.
•\tElevate the firm’s reputation by participating in relevant forums, client discussions, and industry events, driving new business opportunities.
4. Innovate & Scale the AI Operating Model
•\tDevelop new delivery frameworks and methodologies to enhance the speed and consistency of AI project execution.
•\tCodify best practices, creating reusable assets (templates, playbooks) that help internal teams replicate successful approaches.
•\tMentor junior colleagues, providing technical guidance and career development support to foster a robust, forward-thinking AI community.
•\tChampion cross-functional collaboration, ensuring alignment among data science, engineering, and business teams to deliver holistic solutions.

Qualifications & Skills

•\tExperience: 8+ years leading data-driven strategies and delivering measurable outcomes (preferably in financial services, payments, or card issuing).
•\tGenAI Hands-on experience: Developed and deployed GenAI use cases with proven value from end to end.Developed tools with open source LLM models (e.g., Deepseek, Liama).
•\tThought Leadership: Demonstrated history of publishing, speaking at conferences, or driving innovative AI solutions in a recognized industry setting.
•\tCommunication: Excellent executive-level presentation skills and the ability to translate complex AI concepts for non-technical stakeholders.
•\tAgile Mindset: Familiarity with agile methodologies, iterative development, and modern technology project management practices.
•\tFinancial Services Domain: Deep understanding of the payments ecosystem and key operational challenges relevant to card issuers.
•\tLeadership: Experience managing direct reports and/or cross-functional teams, with a track record of mentoring talent and building high-performing groups.
•\tEducation: Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in computer science, engineering, or related fields; Master’s degree or equivalent advanced study strongly preferred.

Why Join Us

•\tImpact at Scale: Collaborate with top-tier clients in the financial services space to drive transformational AI initiatives.
•\tThought Leadership Platform: Shape industry perspectives by publishing, attending major events, and building an influential network.
•\tProfessional Growth: Develop your leadership and technical skills by working on cutting-edge projects with leading experts in applied AI.
•\tInnovative Culture: Contribute to a dynamic environment that values experimentation, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.

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.