Director, Small Business Product and 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 Director, Small Business Product and Partnerships Mastercard’s North America (NAM) Small Business segment team is responsible for advancing the company’s efforts to address the needs of small businesses through innovative and business-centric solutions, alleviating small business pain points while driving stickiness and utility for bank, merchant, and fintech customers. The NAM Small Business ‘core’ is comprised of credit, debit and prepaid card solutions. Within the core, debit and prepaid cards represent a significant share of the NAM small business card portfolio and a large opportunity for growth. We are searching for a Director of US Small Business Debit, Prepaid, and Partnerships to lead the implementation of Mastercard’s growth strategies in these areas. This fast-paced, high-profile leadership role will own these two products and lead the merchant partnerships pillar for the NAM Small Business core team. The position will be responsible for the day-to-day management of product operations for business debit and prepaid including the management of the value propositions on these cards (a selection of merchant-led and Mastercard-led benefits). With support from the team, he / she will oversee the negotiation, launch and ongoing management of merchant partnerships related to benefits on all core cards. The successful candidate will be a highly motivated, analytical, and independent thinker with a proven track record in product management, partnerships management, and cross-functional partnerships.

• Are you passionate about the prospect of supporting small business owners through the right card solutions?
• Do you have a solid understanding of card payment products- including the network payments landscape (specifically pertaining to debit & prepaid) and the fundamentals of issuer economics in payments?
• Do you have experience negotiating and managing partnership deals? Do you have experience putting yourself in the small business’ shoes to create seamless customer experiences that work for them?
• Are you an out-of-the-box thinker with strong attention to detail who can execute autonomously? Role – Director, Product Management, US Small Business Debit, Prepaid and Partnerships : Product Management – Business Debit and Prepaid
• Drive growth for US Small Business Debit and Prepaid through the development of a core product roadmap that delivers against the team’s targets, evolves the product line, and meets the needs of small businesses.
• Own the day-to-day operations of debit and prepaid including the card value propositions, participate in business development efforts and in new product launches with Mastercard issuer, alternative distribution and fintech customers
• Partner with colleagues on NAM small business product team to articulate and execute the SMB narrative and forward-looking strategy for the products, including merchant benefit partnerships
• Leverage “Beyond Card” capabilities to develop compelling value to issuers and businesses that grow the small business book
• Track and analyze key Debit and Prepaid performance indicators (KPIs), including Gross Dollar Volume (GDV), revenue growth, and interchange trends. Merchant Benefit Partnerships
• Oversee card benefit partnerships for small business credit, debit and prepaid with support from members of the team
• Lead merchant negotiations for prospective and renewing small business card benefits. Collaborate with cross functional stakeholders to take deals from concept to completion.
• Oversee business case development and implementation of benefits or enhancements
• Maintain a pipeline of prospective merchant partners
• Stay abreast of competitive trends and relevant, fast-growing merchants that may be good partnership candidates
• Contribute to and execute Mastercard’s small business merchant benefit strategy for the short and longer term Job Specific Skills :
• Expertise in U.S. Payments & Debit Ecosystem – Deep understanding of Single Message and Dual Message transaction flows, interchange structures, and regulatory impacts. Prepaid knowledge a strong plus.
• Partnerships – Minimum 2 years experience in negotiating with third party partners including in contract negotiations for consumer-facing deals and ongoing relationship management
• Industry Experience – Minimum 5 years in product management, strategy, consulting, or a related field in the payments industry.
• Analytical & Data Skills – Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, data modeling) and PowerPoint (storytelling, presentations).
• Regulatory & Compliance Knowledge – Familiarity with payment regulations, interchange pricing models, and issuer processing.
• Small Business Passion – Enthusiasm for Mastercard’s focus on supporting the needs of small business owners.
• Strategic Execution – Ability to interpret complex data, manage multiple projects, and drive business impact.
• Collaboration & Communication – Strong interpersonal skills to work cross-functionally and influence stakeholders at all levels, both internal and external to Mastercard.
• Adaptability & Ownership – Self-starter mindset, proactively solving challenges and driving results.
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or Graduate degree preferred.
• Location is flexible between Purchase, NY or New York City; limited travel may be required. 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 reasonable_accommodation@mastercard.com 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 the US, the successful candidate will be offered a competitive base salary and may be eligible for an annual bonus or commissions depending on the role. The base salary offered may vary depending on multiple factors, including but not limited to location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Mastercard benefits for full time (and certain part time) employees generally include : insurance (including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, disability, life insurance); flexible spending account and health savings account; paid leaves (including 16 weeks of new parent leave and up to 20 days of bereavement leave); 80 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time, 25 days of vacation time and 5 personal days, pro-rated based on date of hire; 10 annual paid U.S. observed holidays; 401k with a best-in-class company match; deferred compensation for eligible roles; fitness reimbursement or on-site fitness facilities; eligibility for tuition reimbursement; and many more. Pay Ranges Purchase, New York : $170,000 - $273,000 USD