Manager – Network Expansion Strategy

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

Team Overview

The Next Generation Network team is at the heart of Mastercard’s transformation, driving innovation and modernization to ensure the network remains resilient, flexible, and competitive in a rapidly evolving payments landscape.

This team is responsible for building the next generation of Mastercard’s core payment switch, designed to support the future of payment flows across transaction types, payment schemes, credentials and emerging use cases.

Within the Next Gen Network team, Network Expansion focuses on leveraging Mastercard’s modernized network capabilities to unlock new products, new business models, and new revenue opportunities, including alternative switching models and payment use cases beyond traditional Mastercard card transaction switching.

Role Summary

The Manager, Network Expansion Strategy role will play a critical role in defining and advancing Mastercard’s Network Expansion and modernization agenda.

This role is designed for a strategic product leader with a management consulting-style mindset, strong business and analytical judgment, and the ability to translate complex market, technology and ecosystem dynamics into clear strategic recommendations, product opportunities, value stories and executive-ready narratives.

The individual will help define our Network Expansion strategy, assess market and customer opportunities, shape new product and business model concepts, build fact-based business cases and influence roadmap and investment decisions across product, technology, franchise, compliance, pricing, commercialization and regional teams.

The ideal candidate for this role will bring strong strategic thinking, structured problem-solving and content synthesis skills, combined with the ability to understand complex technology platforms, payment network infrastructure, and the commercial models required to scale new capabilities globally.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Growth

· Define and evolve Network Expansion strategy, identifying growth opportunities, new business models, and market-driven product investments.

· Develop business cases, pricing models, strategic recommendations, and executive-level proposals to shape product, commercialization, and investment decisions.

· Assess market dynamics, customer needs, competitive trends, and ecosystem opportunities to drive differentiated growth strategies.

· Partner with product, engineering, franchise, compliance, and regional teams to translate market opportunities into scalable and commercially viable solutions.

Executive Influence & Stakeholder Collaboration

· Build compelling, data-driven executive narratives, presentations, business cases and decision frameworks that simplify complex business, market, and technology topics.

· Influence and present to senior stakeholders across product, technology, commercial, and regional organizations to drive alignment around strategic priorities and investment decisions.

· Represent the Network Expansion agenda in leadership discussions, market engagements, and cross-functional forums, acting as a trusted advisor and thought partner.

· Support innovation and product development processes to move high-potential concepts from strategy through validation, intake, and execution readiness.

· Build strong cross-functional relationships with senior product, technology, commercial, franchise, compliance, and regional stakeholders to validate opportunities and shape strategic recommendations.

All About You

· Strategy or consulting experience, ideally in payments or fintech space, such as management consulting, product strategy, or technology-driven growth initiatives, with a track record of solving complex business problems and influencing strategic decisions.

· Strong executive communication and content development capabilities, including synthesizing complex market, business, and technology topics into compelling narratives, presentations, and decision materials for senior leadership.

· Quick learner with the ability to navigate ambiguity, rapidly ramp on complex topics, and deliver high-quality work under tight timelines when needed.

· Ability to bridge business strategy and technology, translating customer needs, market opportunities, and platform capabilities into scalable products, business models, and commercialization strategies.

· Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive alignment across cross-functional teams.

· Postgraduate degree and fluent speaking in English is required.

Preferred Background

· Management consulting or significant product strategy experience

· Experience working with payments, fintech, network-based platforms, platform businesses, or large-scale technology transformation initiatives, including the translation of technical capabilities into scalable commercial opportunities.

Core Skills

· Strategic thinking and structured problem solving: Ability to frame ambiguous opportunities, evaluate alternatives, and develop timely, fact-based recommendations.

· Business case development and growth strategy: Experience assessing market opportunities, sizing impact, and shaping product, pricing, and commercialization strategies.

· Management consulting mindset: Demonstrated ability to structure complex problems, synthesize diverse inputs, develop strategic recommendations, and influence decision-making at senior levels.

· Executive communication and strategic storytelling: Ability to synthesize complex information into compelling narratives and influence senior leadership.

· Technology-to-business translation: Capability to connect platform capabilities, customer needs, and commercial outcomes in a clear and actionable way.

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.