Director, Software Engineering

US: Mastercard International Incor; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 195,000 - 323,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401k with match

Paid vacation

On-site fitness facilities

Job summary

Mastercard is seeking a Director of Software Engineering in Arlington, VA to lead the Product Acceleration Engineering Pillar, building reusable data and platform patterns for faster, scalable product delivery. You will manage ~15 engineers, coach managers and ICs, and align roadmaps with product leadership across enterprise teams.

The role emphasizes agile leadership, architectural oversight, and strong collaboration with partners to drive innovation and improve time-to-market.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as an Engineering leader in an agile, production-scale environment.
• Experience managing managers and experienced individual technical contributors with a strong focus on coaching and mentoring.
• Hands-on knowledge of modern technologies such as AWS (including data and AI/ML services), Databricks, Java, Spring Boot, .NET/C#, React, Python, Spark, and related cloud-native platforms.
• Strong track record of defining architecture, design, and delivery of large-scale, multi-team systems with a vision to transform internal systems and operations as needed to fully support our business.
• Strong technical foundation with ability to quickly learn and adopt new technologies.
• Experience improving engineering organizations, structures, and delivery processes at scale.
• Ability to influence across teams, functions, and geographies to drive technical alignment.
• Strong understanding of SDLC methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) and when to apply them.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to influence executive, business, and technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical thinking and decision‑making capabilities in ambiguous and complex environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead and scale engineering teams focused on product acceleration, platform services, data capabilities, and developer enablement.
• Partner with product management and tech leads to define roadmaps and measurable KPIs for the Product Acceleration pillar.
• Establish efficient operating model and build high-performing, cohesive teams.
• Collaborate with enterprise partners to remove governance and process hurdles that slow time-to-market.
• Coach and develop engineers and engineering managers across global teams.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks with senior technology leaders.
• Foster a culture of innovation, experimentation, and continuous technical learning.
• Set high standards for engineering excellence and team performance.
• Navigate cross-team dependencies and align stakeholders.
• Promote agile ways of working and adapt to changing priorities.
• Engage senior stakeholders on technology direction and product decisions.

Skills

AWS Cloud

Databricks

Java

Spring Boot

React

Python

.NET/C#

Spark

Cloud-native platforms

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering/CS/math

Tools

Databricks

AWS

React.js

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

Director, Software Engineering Overview: Mastercard Business & Market Insights (B&MI) Capabilities & Data (C&D) is seeking a Director of Software Engineering to lead the Product Acceleration Engineering Pillar, focused on partnering with enterprise teams to establish reusable data and application patterns that improve developer experience, innovation, and speed to production. Our organization establishes the common data, AI, and platform foundations that enable B&MI market facing teams to build, scale, and distribute products faster through interoperable data, reusable AI capabilities, and modular platform services. The ideal candidate is a creative and resourceful technology leader with proven ability to build, motivate, and professionally develop high performing teams of talented software engineers. Bonus points if they've got experience building common, high-performance, and easy-to-use developer frameworks and solutions to cross-cutting concerns. This hybrid role is based in Arlington, VA and requires three days per week onsite. The leader will manage an organization of approximately 15 engineers.

Role

• Lead and scale multiple engineering teams focused on product acceleration, platform services, data capabilities, and developer enablement.
• Partner closely with product management and tech leads to define the long and short term roadmaps and measurable KPIs for the Product Acceleration pillar.
• Establishing the efficient and effective operating and organizing model needed to deliver the Product Acceleration objectives; build and lead multiple high performance, highly cohesive engineering teams.
• Working with enterprise partners to identify and find creative solutions to hurdles in governance and process that increase time to market for new products.
• Lead, coach, and develop engineers and engineering managers across global, cross-functional teams.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate technical risks in collaboration with senior technology leaders.
• Foster a culture of innovation, experimentation, and continuous technical learning.
• Set high standards for engineering excellence and elevate team performance.
• Navigate complex cross-team dependencies and drive alignment across stakeholders.
• Promote agile ways of working and enable teams to adapt quickly to changing priorities and insights.
• Engage and influence senior stakeholders on technology direction and product decisions.
• Anticipate and plan for future scaling needs aligned with business growth and customer demand.

All About You

• Proven experience as an Engineering leader in an agile, production-scale environment.
• Experience managing managers and experienced individual technical contributors with a strong focus on coaching and mentoring; you turn good talent into great talent.
• Outcome driven; comfortable setting measurable, data driven objectives and holding teams accountable.
• Hands‑on knowledge of modern technologies such as AWS (including data and AI/ML services), Databricks, Java, Spring Boot, .NET/C#, React, Python, Spark, and related cloud-native platforms.
• Strong track record of defining architecture, design, and delivery of large-scale, multi-team systems with a vision to transform internal systems and operations as needed to fully support our business.
• Strong technical foundation with ability to quickly learn and adopt new technologies.
• Experience improving engineering organizations, structures, and delivery processes at scale.
• Ability to influence across teams, functions, and geographies to drive technical alignment.
• Strong understanding of SDLC methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) and when to apply them.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to influence executive, business, and technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical thinking and decision‑making capabilities in ambiguous and complex environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent practical experience.

Equal Opportunity

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.

Accommodations

In the US or Canada, if you require accommodations or assistance to complete the online application process or during the recruitment process, please contact [e-mail] 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 come 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.

Compensation

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 and may be eligible for an annual bonus or commissions depending on the role. The base salary offered may vary depending on multiple factors, including but not limited to location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Benefits for Full Time Employees

• insurance (including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, disability, life insurance)
• flexible spending account and health savings account
• paid leaves (including 16 weeks of new parent leave and up to 20 days of bereavement leave)
• 80 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time, 25 days of vacation time and 5 personal days, pro-rated based on date of hire
• 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
• and many more.

Benefits for Interns

• 56 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time
• jury duty leave
• and on-site fitness facilities in some locations.

Salary Range

Pay Ranges Arlington, Virginia: $195,000 - $323,000 USD

Position Fill Date

THIS POSTING RELECTS ONE OR MORE CURRENT VACANCIES ON OUR TEAM, AND MASTERCARD INTENDS TO FILL THIS POSITION BY 12/14/2026. If the fill date has passed, Mastercard intends to fill this position as soon as possible.

Marketing Vision

Everyone wants easier ways to pay; we invent them. Checkout lines are slow; we speed them along. Merchants want more sales; we give them data and insights. People need financial access; we connect them. Corporate purchasing is complicated; we make it simple. Commuters are busy; we speed them on their way. Governments need greater efficiencies; we help create them. Small businesses are virtual; we give them access to a world of buyers. Retailers want to fight fraud; we provide the tools.