Director of AI & Data Strategy

Join Mastercard as the Director of AI & Data Strategy, where you will be responsible for advancing the company's thinking, frameworks, and practices across AI and data strategy. You will lead pioneering research, evaluate emerging AI and data developments, and provide forward-looking guidance on their potential business, regulatory, ethical, and societal implications. Collaborating with various teams, you will develop responsible AI frameworks, anticipate guardrails, and promote a culture of data literacy. This role requires a strong understanding of privacy, security, transparency, fairness, accountability, data rights, and other responsible AI considerations.

- Advancing Mastercard’s thinking, frameworks, and practices across AI and data strategy, and delivering key strategic initiatives. - Leading pioneering research, evaluating emerging AI and data developments, and providing forward-looking guidance on their potential business, regulatory, ethical, and societal implications. - Collaborating with cross-functional teams to embed responsible AI and data practices into operational workflows, product-development processes, and strategic decisions.

- Strong understanding of privacy, security, transparency, fairness, accountability, data rights, model risk and other responsible AI considerations - Demonstrated ability to lead research and horizon-scanning activities and translate emerging developments into strategic business implications - Recognized subject-matter expertise in AI strategy, data strategy, responsible AI, AI governance, technology policy or a closely related discipline - Deep understanding of generative AI, agentic AI, machine learning, advanced analytics and the data foundations required to support these capabilities - Experience mentoring colleagues and developing specialist capability through knowledge sharing and practical guidance - Experience developing advanced governance frameworks, ethical standards, guardrails, assessment models or responsible innovation practices - Significant experience applying specialist knowledge to complex business, technology, regulatory or societal challenges - Demonstrated influence across organisational boundaries, particularly when working with legal, compliance, privacy, risk, technology and product teams - Ability to balance innovation, customer value, feasibility, governance and long-term societal considerations - Ability to evaluate emerging and hypothetical risks where historical evidence, regulatory direction or established industry practices may be limited - Ability to communicate complex and uncertain topics clearly to senior executives, technical specialists, control functions and business stakeholders - Strong critical-thinking skills, intellectual curiosity and willingness to challenge assumptions constructively - Bachelor’s degree in data science, computer science, engineering, technology, public policy, law, ethics, business or equivalent practical experience. An advanced degree is advantageous but not required - Experience within payments, financial services or another highly regulated and globally distributed industry - Experience in responsible AI, AI assurance, technology ethics, algorithmic accountability, model governance or technology-policy research - Familiarity with global AI regulations, governance standards and industry frameworks - Experience advising senior leaders on emerging technologies, strategic uncertainty and long-term organisational resilience - Evidence of external or internal thought leadership through research papers, executive publications, conference participation or industry working groups - Experience translating research and policy developments into operational controls, product-development practices and enterprise governance