Senior People Specialist (Services)

Mastercard; York and North Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Mastercard is seeking a Senior People Specialist to support execution of critical people priorities across our Services business. You will work with People Business Partners, Centers of Expertise, and business leaders to ensure programs and initiatives land with excellence.

This role reports to the Executive Vice President, People Business Partner for Services and serves as the operational anchor for the PBP team, driving timelines, coordination, and quality in deliverables.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting People priorities in a tech services business.
• Strong Excel and data analysis skills.
• Ability to partner with executives and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Execute day‑to‑day People Strategy deliverables for the Services business.
• Manage cyclical people processes (Talent, Compensation, Performance Calibration).
• Act as operational anchor for the PBP team with clear timelines and quality deliverables.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and leverage automation/AI where appropriate.
• Support organizational effectiveness, structure design, transitions, and leadership enablement.
• Prepare executive‑level materials and analyses for PBPs and leaders.
• Analyze headcount, cost, attrition, hiring, and engagement data for insights.
• Partner with People Analytics and Finance to surface trends and track metrics.
• Oversee communications for leaders, employees, and partners.

Skills

Excel proficiency

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Project management

Workday experience

HR analytics

Communication

Tools

Workday

Job description

• Mastercard is seeking a Senior People Specialist to support execution of critical people priorities across our Services business
• This role provides a unique opportunity to gain deep exposure to the People Business Partner (PBP) craft, support a rapidly evolving technology business, and operate in a highly visible space with senior executives
• The individual will work closely with People Business Partners, Centers of Expertise, business leaders, and cross‑functional partners to ensure programs, processes, and organizational initiatives land with excellence. This role reports directly to Executive Vice President, People Business Partner for Services
• Own timely execution of day‑to‑day People Strategy deliverables for the Services business, ensuring exceptional follow‑through and partnership with PBPs and business stakeholders
• Manage cyclical people processes (Talent, Compensation, Performance Calibration, Organizational Health Inputs) with strong attention to detail, anticipating needs and ensuring readiness across leaders and teams
• Serve as the operational anchor for the PBP team—driving clarity, timelines, coordination, and quality in deliverables
• Act as a proactive contributor to the People Specialists community by identifying opportunities for continuous process improvement and enhancing operational efficiency through innovative tools, automation, and AI enabled interventions
• Support organizational effectiveness and change initiatives, including structure design, transitions, and leadership team enablement
• Help build executive‑ready materials, narratives, and analyses for executive People Business Partners and leaders
• Manage discreet, sensitive workstreams with high confidentiality and sound judgment
• Conduct analysis across headcount, cost, attrition, hiring, talent, and engagement data to translate findings into actionable insights for PBPs and business leaders
• Partner with People Analytics and Finance teams to prepare data packs, track key metrics, and proactively surface trends
• Support position management, organizational modeling, and headcount planning
• Draft clear, compelling communications for leaders, employees, and partners
• Coordinate communication workflows and support experience design for major people initiatives
• Ensure HR systems (Workday, dashboards, portals) are leveraged effectively and consistently
• Provide operating leverage to EVP, People Business Partner including preparing Services rollup materials, synthesizing updates across stakeholders and functional areas, and driving actions to closure
• Act as an extension of the EVP to help ensure coordination, alignment, and transparency across the Services PBP team
• Partner closely with peers to ensure seamless delivery across workstreams

Thrives in a role that blends strategic thinking with hands‑on executionExcellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparing materials for senior audiencesStrong proficiency with Excel and comfort working with data (pivot tables, trend analysis, modeling)Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities at speed while maintaining high‑quality outputAbility to anticipate needs, raise risks early, and drive clarity and alignment across stakeholdersAbility to manage projects to deadlines across regional teamsTechnical SkillsOperates with discretion, maturity, and credibility in interactions with senior leadersComfort or experience with AI Tools like Co-PilotStrong critical thinking skills and a data‑driven approach to problem solvingExperience with Workday strongly preferred; ability to learn and master new HR tools quickly.Mindset & Work StyleCurious, eager to learn, and motivated by supporting a growing and dynamic technology organizationProactive, resourceful, highly organized, and able to exercise sound judgmentComfortable operating in fast‑paced, matrixed, and evolving environmentsSuccess requires strong judgment, high ownership, proactive communication, and the ability to operate with speed, discretion, precision and collaboration