Director - Regional Operational Excellence

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 - Regional Operational Excellence

Who is Mastercard?

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments, and businesses realize their greatest potential.

Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

Overview

The GCD&C Operational Excellence team is looking for a Director - Regional Operational Excellence to drive our customer experience strategy forward by consistently innovating and problem-solving. At Mastercard, we power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere. The Director, Regional Operational Excellence is a senior leader responsible for advancing this mission by driving operational rigor, scalability, and continuous improvement across the region.

This role serves as the strategic bridge between regional operations and the global Operational Excellence (OpEx) function, ensuring alignment to enterprise standards while delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, customer experience, and operational governance & control.

Role

Partner with regional and global executives to define and execute operational excellence strategy aligned to business priorities.

Drive adoption of enterprise OpEx frameworks, including capacity planning, resource optimization, performance management, quality assurance, and governance.

Locally lead large-scale, cross-functional transformation initiatives that improve productivity, scalability, and customer outcomes.

Establish and track KPIs to measure operational performance, maturity, and business impact.

Leverage data and insights to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, enabling informed executive decision-making.

Champion continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma) to deliver sustainable efficiency gains.

Ensure strong change governance and readiness, driving adoption of new processes, tools, and operating models.

Build and develop regional OpEx capabilities through coaching, training, and best practice sharing.

Foster a culture grounded in accountability, innovation, and operational excellence.

All About You

Basic Qualifications

Extensive experience in Operational Excellence, transformation, or operational strategy leadership roles.

Proven ability to influence senior executives and lead in global, matrixed environments.

Demonstrated success delivering large-scale transformation and measurable business outcomes.

Deep expertise in performance management, capacity planning, and data-driven decision-making.

Strong knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma).

Exceptional communication skills with strong executive presence.

Preferred Qualifications

Lean, Six Sigma, or Operational Excellence certifications.

Experience in large-scale, customer-centric operations (e.g., contact centers, shared services).

Background within centralized OpEx, transformation, or enterprise change functions.

Impact

Drive measurable improvements in operational efficiency, cost optimization, and service delivery.

Enhance customer experience through standardized, scalable, and high-quality operations.

Strengthen operational governance and risk management across the region.

Enable consistent adoption of global standards while addressing regional business needs.

Build a high-performing, continuous improvement culture that supports Mastercard’s long-term growth.

#LI-FT1

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 [email protected] 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. Mastercard benefits for interns generally include: 56 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time; jury duty leave; and on-site fitness facilities in some locations.

Pay Ranges

O'Fallon, Missouri: $156,000 - $265,000 USD