VP, Engineering SME, Second Line Technology Risk

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

VP, Engineering SME, Second Line Technology Risk

Overview:
Mastercard Risk is looking for a highly experienced and technically adept Vice President, Engineering Subject Matter Expert (SME) to join our Second Line Technology Risk function. In this critical role, you'll provide independent oversight and challenge to our technology and product teams, ensuring robust risk management practices across our global payments infrastructure.
You'll act as a trusted advisor, leveraging your deep engineering expertise to assess the effectiveness of controls, identify emerging risks, and drive continuous improvement in our technology risk posture. This is an excellent opportunity for a seasoned engineering leader to gain experience/transition into a vital risk management role, influencing the security and resilience of a leading payments company.

Role:
• Provide Technical Expertise: Serve as the primary engineering SME for the Second Line Technology Risk function, offering in-depth knowledge of payment systems, distributed architectures, cloud computing, cybersecurity, software development lifecycles (SDLC), and emerging technologies.
• Incident & Issue Review: Participate in the review of significant technology incidents and issues, providing technical insights into root causes and effectiveness of remediation plans.
• Independent Risk Assessment & Challenge: Conduct independent reviews and challenges of technology and product initiatives, architectures, and controls to identify potential weaknesses, single points of failure, and areas of elevated risk.
• Control Effectiveness Evaluation: Assess the design and operational effectiveness of technology controls, including those related to security, resilience, data security, and operational processes.
• Emerging Technology Risk Identification: Proactively identify and evaluate risks associated with new and evolving technologies, providing recommendations for mitigation strategies.
• Policy & Standard Influence: Contribute to the development and enhancement of technology risk policies, standards, and guidelines, ensuring they align with industry best practices and regulatory expectations.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate effectively with First Line technology and product teams, internal audit, and other risk functions to foster a strong risk culture and drive informed decision-making.
• Reporting & Communication: Prepare clear, concise, and impactful reports and presentations for senior management and relevant committees, articulating complex technical risks in an accessible manner.

All About You:
Qualifications
• Significant prior experience in engineering roles within the financial services or technology sector, with a significant focus on payments systems, distributed systems, or high-transaction platforms.
• Technical Depth:
o Demonstrable expertise in software engineering principles, secure coding practices, and architectural design patterns.
o Strong understanding of cloud native architectures (AWS, Azure, GCP), microservices, APIs, and containerization technologies (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker).
o In-depth knowledge of cybersecurity principles, threat modeling, vulnerability management, and incident response.
o Familiarity with data management, data privacy principles, and regulatory compliance (e.g., PCI DSS, GDPR, SOX).
o Experience with various programming languages (e.g., Java, Python, Go) and development methodologies (Agile, DevOps).
• Risk Management Acumen:
o Experience in technology risk management, audit, or a related control function is a significant plus.
o Understanding of risk frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, COBIT) is also a plus
• Leadership & Communication:
o Proven experience in a leadership or senior technical individual contributor role, with the ability to influence and guide technical discussions.
o Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
o Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear and actionable insights for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field desired