Lead Data Engineer (AI & Data Strategy)

Mastercard Colombia, Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 89,000 - 142,000; Full time

Job summary

Mastercard Colombia, Inc. is seeking a Lead Data Engineer to shape AI and data strategy. You will guide data scientists, integrate multi-source data, and build scalable pipelines for production-ready models. The role emphasizes collaboration with software teams and driving automation across data engineering and analytics.

The ideal candidate brings strong Python/PySpark/Airflow skills, a track record of cross-functional leadership, and a passion for solving complex data challenges at scale.

Qualifications

• Strong Linux/Bash proficiency and data engineering fundamentals.
• Proficient in Python, PySpark, Airflow, SQL and Databricks.
• Experience with agile engineering practices and strong communication.
• Excellent problem solving with initiative and autonomy.
• Familiar with CI/CD and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead collaboration with data scientists to optimize the modeling pipeline.
• Oversee data integration from various sources and storage systems to create cohesive datasets.
• Design and develop data pipelines to automate repetitive data science tasks.
• Mentor junior data engineers.
• Partner with software engineering to deploy production artifacts.
• Identify patterns and build reusable components for multiple use cases.
• Create well-modeled, well-documented data products.
• Lead projects with undefined or loose requirements.

Skills

Linux Bash

Python

Pyspark

Airflow

CI/CD

Communication

Problem solving

Initiative

Education

Graduate degree in CS/DS/ML/AI or related STEM

Tools

JIRA

Hadoop

SQL

Databricks

Job description

Our Purpose

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build asustainableeconomy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactionssecure, 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

Lead Data Engineer (AI & Data Strategy)

Who is Mastercard?

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments, and businesses realize their greatest potential.

Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

The Security Solutions Data Science team is responsible for creating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) models backing its flagship product. The models generated are production ready and created to back specific products in Mastercard’s authentication and authorization networks. The Data Science team is also responsible for developing automated processes for creating models covering all modeling steps, from data extraction up to delivery. In addition, the processes must be designed to scale, to be repeatable, resilient, and industrialized.

Services within Mastercard is responsible for acquiring, engaging, and retaining customers by managing fraud and risk, enhancing cybersecurity, and improving the digital payments experience. We provide value-added services and leverage expertise, data-driven insights, and execution.

You will be joining a team of Data Scientists and engineers working on innovative AI and ML fraud detection. Our innovative cross-channel AI solutions are applied in Fortune 500 companies in industries such as fin-tech and payments processing. We are pursuing a highly motivated individual with strong problem-solving skills to take on the challenge of structuring and engineering data and cutting-edge AI model evaluation and reporting processes.

As a Lead Data Engineer, you will:

• Lead collaboration with data scientists to understand the existing modeling pipeline and identify optimization opportunities.
• Oversee the integration and management of data from various sources and storage systems, establishing processes and pipelines to produce cohesive datasets for analysis and modeling.
• Design and develop data pipelines to automate repetitive tasks within data science and data engineering.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams or working across different teams to solve complex problems.
• Partner with software engineering teams to deploy and validate production artifacts.
• Identify patterns and innovative solutions in existing spaces, consistently seeking opportunities to simplify, automate tasks, and build reusable components for multiple use cases and teams.
• Create data products that are well-modeled, thoroughly documented, and easy to understand and maintain.
• Comfortable leading projects in environments with undefined or loose requirements.
• Mentor junior data engineers

All About You

• Good knowledge of Linux / Bash environment
• Experience in the following platforms: Python, Pyspark, Airflow, CI/CD, JIRA, Hadoop, SQL, Databricks
• Familiar with agile & agentic engineering best practices
• Good communication skills
• Highly skilled problem solver
• Exhibits a high degree of initiative

Nice to have:

• Graduate degree in CS, Data Science, Machine Learning, AI or a related STEM field
• Data Engineering Experience
• Experience with Java
• Experience with Jenkins
• Experience in with data engineering on petabyte scale data
• Understands and implements methods to evaluate own work and others for error
• Loves working with error-prone, messy, disparate, unstructured data

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. 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 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.

In line with Mastercard’s total compensation philosophy and assuming that the job will be performed in Canada, the successful candidate will be offered a competitive pay based on location, experience and other qualifications for the role and may be eligible to participate in a discretionary annual incentive program.

Pay Ranges

• Vancouver, Canada: $127,000 - $203,000 CAD