Manager, Startup & Venture Partnerships

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

Manager, Startup & Venture Partnerships

OVERVIEW
Do you have a passion for startups and emerging technology, and possess an entrepreneurial spirit?

Are you motivated by a fast-paced environment where you would be a subject matter expert, a connector, and a leader with a reputation for impact?

Do you thrive leading highly visible, high impact initiatives with innovative partners?

Start Path is Mastercard’s award-winning fintech engagement team, working with elite fintechs across the world to drive business with Mastercard and with our customers. The Start Path team is agile, well-connected and has a big vision: to partner with the best fintechs across the payments ecosystem to build the future of commerce.

THE ROLE
The Start Path Manager, Startup & Venture Partnerships, will work closely with the Emerging Fintech Director help lead sourcing and selection efforts, drive commercialization and sponsorship for newly selected companies, manage relationships and commercial opportunities with 30+ existing portfolio companies, support the fintech strategy across the organization and help build a powerful brand halo for Mastercard in the vibrant startup community.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Start Path is Mastercard’s suite of award-winning global startup engagement programs that have worked with 480+ companies in 60+ countries to drive best-in-class commercial fintech deals, investments, and partnerships. The Emerging Fintech Manager will focus on driving partnership with underrepresented fintech founders – both existing portfolio companies and newly selected companies. The remit of the companies with which they will work will be global.

Role:
• Deliver the vision, mission, and execution of Start Path Emerging Fintech, including:
o Sourcing high-potential and strategic startups,
o Driving partnerships and engagements with selected startups, and
o Managing existing portfolio companies.
• Drive innovative commercial engagements with startups across a diverse set of areas including payments, banking, financial inclusion, sustainability, data analytics, loyalty, and more.
• Advocate and evangelize the Fintech strategy with internal and external stakeholders, including senior leadership at Mastercard, startups, venture capital firms, industry organizations, governments, and more.
• Help formalize Mastercard’s global venture capital relationships and leverage these non-traditional partnerships for lead generation and insight development on future trends.
• Liaise with the Start Path Corporate Membership program in collaboration with Data & Services. Work closely with account teams to evangelize the Start Path program and train Account Managers and Sales teams on how Start Path creates value for our customers
• Maintain strong coordination with other fintech teams at Mastercard to ensure cohesive messaging and partnership best-practices are shared across the organization.
• Anticipate significant domestic and regional fintech trends while developing and modifying strategies to manage these trends.
• Represent Mastercard at high-profile events (e.g., conferences, industry events) and deliver regular thought leadership.

Qualifications:
• Strategic thinker and well-versed in the fintech, startup engagement and venture capital domains.
• Experienced in payments, banking, financial inclusion, and other fintech segments, with technical and systems knowledge foundation in each.
• Proven track record of successful collaboration in a highly matrixed organization. Ability to structure, manage, and coordinate complex cross-enterprise projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Vision and passion for Mastercard’s business, with high energy, intelligence, and self-driven motivation.
• Exceptional commitment to product management discipline and best practices; process-oriented, with a high attention to detail and quality on both internal teamwork and external products delivered to the market.
• MBA a plus.

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.