Director, Center for Inclusive Growth

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, Center for Inclusive Growth 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. Overview of the Center for Inclusive Growth The Center for Inclusive Growth (CFIG) is the social impact hub at Mastercard. The organization seeks to ensure that the benefits of an expanding economy accrue to all segments of society. Through actionable research, impact data science, programmatic grants, stakeholder engagement and global partnerships, the Center advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center’s work is at the heart of Mastercard’s objective to be a force for good in the world. Role: We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Director, South Asia to lead the strategic oversight and execution of Mastercard Strive in India and the South Asia portfolio of impact programs focused on financial resilience for micro and small enterprises. This role will be responsible for seamless program management, partnering with the South Asia Division to align philanthropic programs with business strategies and helping to shape programs across Asia Pacific. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in designing and managing large-scale social impact programs, a strong understanding of monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), and the ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced, high-impact environment. The role will report to the Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (APEMEA). Key responsibilities: • Lead the end-to-end management of the South Asia portfolio, including Mastercard Strive in India, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and operational excellence • Ensure strong governance, risk management and reporting structures across South Asia portfolio • Develop and oversee program frameworks, milestones and performance metrics, including monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) strategy and execution, to drive impact • Forge creative / co-investment partnerships with the public and philanthropic sector organizations to scale programs • Partner with the South Asia Leadership to ensure alignment of South Asia philanthropic portfolio with business strategies and objectives in the region • Support Senior Vice President, APEMEA on strategy development for the Asia Pacific region • Manage high-stakes engagements with senior leadership, providing clear, data-driven insights and responding quickly and effectively to ad-hoc requests • Work cross-functionally with internal teams and external partners to drive program success and proactively address challenges • Manage ad-hoc requests from leadership team All about you: • Extensive experience managing complex, multi-market programs within the financial services, technology, or adjacent sectors • Very strong track record of designing and executing large-scale interventions, balancing strategic vision with operational rigor and risk management • Knowledge of MEL frameworks, with an ability to translate insights into action • Exceptional organizational skills with a detail-oriented approach to program management and execution • Proven ability to work cross-functionally and navigate matrixed environments • Strong stakeholder engagement and partnership management skills • Effective communicator and networker who can rally wide support and mobilize teams and partners for joint action • Ability to work with urgency and manage multiple priorities effectively • Self-motivated and capable of working independently in a fast-paced environment • Master’s degree is strongly preferred. Academic qualifications / work experience from across the business, in public policy and / or communications will be valuable • Excellent English oral and written communication skills; Hindi and / or other Indian languages a plus 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.