Manager, Program Governance

Mastercard, Inc.; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A global technology company in payments is seeking a Program Governance Manager to oversee product governance and change management processes. The successful candidate will lead cross-functional teams, implement operational improvements, and ensure compliance with governance standards. Ideal candidates have experience in governance within a technology or payments environment, strong stakeholder management skills, and a keen ability to optimize processes.

Qualifications

• Experience in product governance and change management within a technology or payments environment.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including facilitation, negotiation, and collaboration.
• Proficiency in business process mapping and continuous improvement methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Support MPMS product governance forums for effective oversight and decision-making.
• Coordinate change management processes across MPMS to support product delivery.
• Collaborate with Product, Finance, and Compliance teams to align governance with objectives.
• Implement process improvements to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.

Skills

Product governance

Change management

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Process improvement

Interpersonal skills

Job description

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

Manager, Program Governance

Overview

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to power an inclusive, digital economy by making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible. Through secure data, trusted networks, and strategic partnerships, we enable individuals, financial institutions, governments, and businesses to realise their full potential.

Mastercard Prepaid Management Services (MPMS) delivers end-to-end prepaid card solutions across travel, transit, foreign exchange, gifting, and buy-now-pay-later segments. As a fintech enabler, MPMS operates a scalable, modular platform that supports a global portfolio of prepaid programmes, combining innovation with operational excellence.

Role Purpose

The Program Governance Manager is responsible for leading MPMS product governance and change management processes. This includes seamless delivery and support of program through core governance forums such as the MPMS Monthly Management Meeting, Product Council, DRC, and Change Board. This role reports to the VP, Program Governance and Vendor Management and contributes to the strategic objectives of the function.

The role involves coordinating cross-functional teams, managing workflows, and implementing process improvements to enhance operational efficiency. It requires strong organisational skills, stakeholder engagement, and the ability to adapt to dynamic business environments while ensuring compliance with Mastercard's governance standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Support MPMS product governance forums including MPMS Monthly Management Meeting, Cabinet meetings, Product Council, DRC, A-HA and Change Board to ensure effective oversight and decision‑making.
• Coordinate and manage change management processes across MPMS to support product delivery and operational resilience.
• Develop and maintain governance documentation and artefact repositories to support audit and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with Product, Finance, Compliance, Legal, Engineering, and other Mastercard functions to align governance with strategic objectives.
• Implement process improvements to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.
• Support strategic planning, budgeting, and performance management processes.
• Contribute to the development of dashboards and reporting tools to monitor key metrics and performance indicators.
• May be required to provide project management and coordination for cross-functional initiatives within MPMS.
• Ensure compliance with Mastercard's data governance and change management frameworks.
• Coach and develop team members to foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

All About You

• Experience in product governance and change management within a technology or payments environment.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple high-priority tasks and projects effectively.
• Experience designing and implementing governance programmes and frameworks.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including facilitation, negotiation, and collaboration.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities.
• High degree of self‑organisation and attention to detail.
• Understanding of prepaid processing systems and associated compliance requirements.
• Experience in the payments industry and familiarity with Mastercard's ecosystem.
• Ability to identify and optimise inefficient processes.
• Exposure to regulatory and customer‑facing requirements.
• Proficiency in business process mapping and continuous improvement methodologies.

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.