Senior Counsel – Financial Inclusion & Sustainability

About the role

Mastercard is seeking a Senior Counsel to provide end‑to‑end legal counsel for its global Financial Inclusion, Sustainability, Debit and Prepaid product teams. The role will be based in Purchase, New York and will work closely with product, engineering and compliance teams to bring innovative, responsible payment solutions to market.

Key responsibilities

• Provide legal oversight throughout ideation, prototype, pilot and commercialization phases of financial‑inclusion and sustainability products.
• Support global product teams in negotiating and drafting commercial agreements for debit, prepaid and sustainability programs.
• Identify, assess and mitigate regulatory, governance and contractual risks associated with new product launches.
• Develop and implement appropriate controls and compliance frameworks to align with Mastercard’s policies and external regulations.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional stakeholders to ensure legal considerations are integrated early in product development.

Required profile

• Qualified lawyer with extensive transactional and product experience, preferably in payments, fintech or financial services.
• Demonstrated interest and knowledge in sustainability and financial‑inclusion initiatives.
• Strong business judgment, ability to operate in a fast‑paced, agile environment and handle diverse workloads.
• Proven track record of delivering pragmatic, proactive legal advice at both tactical and strategic levels.

Required skills

• Expertise in contract negotiation and drafting.
• Deep understanding of regulatory frameworks affecting payment products, debit, prepaid and sustainability offerings.
• Ability to assess and manage legal risk in product development cycles.

What we offer

• Opportunity to shape innovative payment solutions that drive financial inclusion worldwide.
• Collaborative, inclusive culture with a focus on sustainability.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package.