Lead Data Scientist, Mastercard
R&D
CA$127-203k
Global payments technology company
Be an early applicant
Global payments technology company
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
CA$127-203k
1001+ employees
Company mission
To connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible.
Role
Who you are
- Expertise in designing and delivering production grade machine learning, deep learning, and NLP solutions for both supervised and unsupervised use cases, including solution architectures and end to end pipelines
- Strong proficiency in Python and the data science ecosystem (e.g., numpy, pandas, sklearn, keras, torch, transformers, langgraph), with experience building and integrating APIs using frameworks such as FastAPI and working with JSON based services
- Solid understanding of statistical techniques and optimization methods, including hypothesis testing, feature engineering, model tuning, validation, and performance evaluation
- Experience working with large scale data processing and analytics technologies, including PySpark, SQL (Cosmos DB, Postgres), and parallel data processing concepts
- Familiarity with modern AI/ML practices such as Agentic AI patterns, prompt engineering, MLOps (e.g., MLflow), and exposure to LLM fine tuning and evaluation approaches
- Experience working in cloud-based environments, leveraging cloud native services (e.g., Azure), with working knowledge of Databricks, Unix based systems, and code configuration management tools such as GitHub or Bitbucket
- Passion for building high quality, maintainable code and applying modern software engineering best practices
- Ability to work independently and lead complex initiatives, while collaborating effectively with cross functional teams and mentoring others in a fast paced, innovative environment
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear insights and recommendations for a range of stakeholders
What the job involves
- We are looking for a talented Lead Data Scientist to join with our Foundry Research and Development team to build innovative products delivered at scale to global markets
- The Foundry Research and Development team is built on a foundation of research and development, mining innovation internally, innovating new product lines with emerging technology, managing new products from inception to market validation and engaging strategically with start-ups to shape the future of commerce with and for our customers
- This team operates across geographies and technology domains, tackling complex challenges to bring innovative payment solutions and services to market
- At Mastercard Foundry, we empower innovation by exploring emerging technologies and building cutting-edge solutions that help define the future of commerce globally
- Leads the technical design, development, and review of complex, scalable machine learning models, predictive algorithms, and statistical solutions to address high-priority business challenges, ensuring alignment with Mastercard’s organizational standards and best practices
- Guides the refinement and optimization of models and algorithms through feature engineering, hyperparameter tuning, and validation techniques to ensure performance, reliability, and robustness in production environments
- Collaborates with cross-functional teams, including AI/ML engineering, product, and business stakeholders, to support the deployment, scaling, and operationalization of models while maintaining technical excellence
- Translates complex data science insights into clear, actionable recommendations to support decision-making and innovation initiatives
- Contributes to the development and adoption of best practices, standards, and knowledge sharing in statistical analysis, feature engineering, model tuning, and validation
- Maintains comprehensive technical documentation of models, processes, and methodologies to support reproducibility, knowledge transfer, and continuous improvement
- Mentors and guides junior team members through hands-on support, reviews, and on-the-job learning to strengthen data science capabilities across the team
Application process
- End Date: July 29, 2026
Our take
Mastercard is in the global payments business, and operates the world's fastest payments processing network. Its products and solutions have become central to everyday commerce across the world, in activities ranging from shopping and travelling to running businesses.
As the economy has become more and more digitised, Mastercard has been a leading player in helping businesses and individuals across the globe embrace card payments and digital banking. One of the world's largest companies, its revenue has seen consistent gain in the last 20 years.
The challenge for modern payments companies is that payments are always changing, as seen in the astronomical rise of contactless payments over the last decade. Mastercard's acquisition of blockchain systems, and an overall focus on leveraging its technology towards a digital economy, has placed the company in good stead to keep up to date with current trends, like cryptocurrency, in the digitised payments world.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
21% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Company benefits
- Gym membership
- Share purchase options
- Extra holiday purchase optional
- Work from home opportunities
- Health insurance
Company HQ
Purchase, Harrison, NY
Leadership
Michael Miebach
(CEO)Has served in a variety of roles at the company, including President and CPO. Currently Board Member at IBM, Accion, the World Resources Institute, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, and the Metropolitan Opera. They are also a Trustee of USCIB.
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