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 – Franchise Innovation (Platform Product Development)
Overview
Mastercard operates one of the world’s largest and most trusted payment networks. The strength of this network is built on a robust operating framework — including rules, standards, onboarding, licensing, dispute processes, and governance models — that enables banks, fintechs, merchants, and partners to participate safely and at scale.
Internally, this network operating framework is referred to as the “Franchise.”
As Mastercard expands across new payment rails, services, and AI-driven capabilities, our Franchise model must continue to evolve to support innovation while preserving the integrity and resilience of the network.
The Role
The Manager, Franchise Innovation will define and develop next-generation payment network governance and ecosystem enablement capabilities that support Mastercard’s strategic growth initiatives.
This role blends product development, platform strategy, and cross-functional execution. You will identify ecosystem needs, shape scalable solutions, translate strategy into product requirements, and support delivery from concept through pilot and broader rollout.
You will operate as a product owner within the Franchise organization — accountable for defining clear value propositions, structured roadmaps, and scalable frameworks that enable new services and participants to operate effectively on Mastercard’s network.
Primary Focus Areas
• Define scalable Franchise (payment network governance) capabilities that enable new services, payment flows, and ecosystem participants
• Translate business and regulatory requirements into clear product artifacts (epics, features, user stories) that guide engineering delivery
• Develop reusable frameworks that reduce time-to-market for future initiatives
• Partner with Technology to ensure architectural alignment and long-term platform scalability
• Contribute to business case development and value articulation for new network capabilities
Key Responsibilities
• Lead structured discovery and requirement workshops with internal stakeholders and ecosystem partners
• Develop product roadmaps aligned to strategic initiatives
• Define MVP scope, pilot approach, and measurable success criteria
• Own product backlog health and prioritization, driving disciplined decision making to maximize platform budget impact.
• Act as Franchise representative in cross-functional design and planning discussions
• Drive UX development aligned to Mastercard standards, delivering intuitive and consistent user interfaces.
• Assess platform implications for new service initiatives and identify opportunities for reuse and standardization
• Support multi-year, multi-region initiatives aligned to Mastercard’s multi-rail strategy
• Monitor pilot performance and recommend scaling, iteration, or refinement
What Success Looks Like
• Clearly defined and scalable network governance capabilities delivered in alignment with strategic priorities
• Improved speed and consistency in enabling new services and ecosystem participants
• Reusable frameworks adopted across initiatives
• Strong cross-functional alignment between Franchise, Product, Technology, and Services
• Measurable ecosystem or commercial impact tied to delivered capabilities
All About You
• Experience in product development and/or management, platform strategy, or ecosystem-based business models
• Ability to translate strategic objectives into structured product plans and delivery roadmaps
• Experience working with engineering teams in agile environments
• Strong stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills
• Analytical mindset with structured problem-solving ability
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience in payments, financial services, regulated industries, or network-based platforms preferred
• Familiarity with Mastercard Franchise principles (payment network onboarding, licensing, governance, disputes) is a plus
• Willingness to travel (~10%)
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.