Strategic Technical Programs Leader

Mastercard; Maynooth; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Mastercard’s Business & Market Insights (BMI) seeks a Principal Technical Program Manager to drive cross-functional programs across regions and vendors. You will ensure timely, aligned delivery of complex initiatives while shaping the program operating model for a growing engineering organization.

You will lead with minimal guidance, building scalable delivery patterns, coordinating with senior leaders, and delivering measurable outcomes in a fast-evolving environment.

Qualifications

• Operate independently to drive execution in ambiguous, early-stage environments.
• Manage complex technical programs across multiple teams and external partners.
• Expertise in agile delivery models and scrum practices.
• Track record of managing escalations and delivering large-scale initiatives.
• Excellent communication with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Understanding of business strategy, technology landscape, and design trade-offs.
• Build relationships and influence dependent teams across the organization.
• Experience establishing or improving delivery processes or governance (a plus).
• BS in engineering, computer science, project management or related discipline.

Responsibilities

• Operate with a high degree of independence to address ambiguous problem spaces and drive timely execution.
• Help establish foundational program management practices, including delivery processes, governance, and operating rhythms for a newly forming engineering organization.
• Lead coordination and execution across internal teams and external vendors, ensuring alignment on scope, timelines, and delivery outcomes.
• Identify and bridge gaps between regions, architectures, vendors, and organizations, creating scalable patterns for cross-team collaboration.
• Manage escalations and drive resolution of complex delivery challenges impacting multiple teams or stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for programs, communicating confidently with senior leadership and translating complex information into clear, actionable updates.
• Provide accurate and timely visibility into program status, risks, and decisions to a range of stakeholders.
• Facilitate constructive dialogue across teams and partners to resolve misalignment and enable predictable delivery.
• Oversee execution across multiple teams and domains, creating effective reporting mechanisms and continuously improving delivery processes.
• Support the scaling of engineering squads across regions by establishing repeatable delivery models and onboarding patterns for new teams.
• Build consensus, drive accountability, and deliver outcomes with limited guidance in a fast-evolving environment.

Skills

Independent execution

Ambiguity handling

Agile delivery

Scrum practices

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Vendor coordination

Education

BS in engineering/CS/PM

Job description

Mastercard’s Business & Market Insights (BMI) seeks a Principal Technical Program Manager to drive cross-functional programs across regions and vendors. You will ensure timely, aligned delivery of complex initiatives while shaping the program operating model for a growing engineering organization.

You will lead with minimal guidance, building scalable delivery patterns, coordinating with senior leaders, and delivering measurable outcomes in a fast-evolving environment.