Mastercard
Team Purpose
• Mastercard Digital Labs Is a leading-edge global innovation practice, delivering a range of innovation programs which incorporate the best in design thinking and agile development processes
• Digital Labs supports our customers and partners with Innovation and R&D consultation - delivering customized innovation programs, products and support - tailored to meet client-specific business challenges.
[Facilitator] - 30%
- Act as a lead sprint master for facilitating all product development engagements on behalf of customers and internal stakeholders alike.
- Serve as a key customer-facing role within Digital Labs, requiring a confident, experienced facilitator with deep knowledge of ideation methodologies, rapid prototyping, design sprints, and agile product management.
- Embody the role of engagement lead for a portfolio of initiatives, supporting lead-in activities in preparation for sprint events (e.g., creation/review of client innovation briefs, setup for face-to-face and virtual events, etc.).
[Product Development/Strategist] - 30%
- Develop and mature existing Digital Labs service offerings, including product development sprints, customer testing, tech-build, thought leadership events, and pilot programs.
- Drive co-creation of design with partners in financial services, tech, airlines, retail & commerce, and other industry verticals.
- Proactively advise and position partners to leverage market catalysts—including disruptive technologies like Open Banking, Crypto, VR, and AR—to develop new products (e.g., decentralized finance) and capabilities within mobile platforms (iOS and Android).
- Explore and support the development of Mastercard Labs’ relationships with external parties, such as innovation entities, Labs organizations, and academic institutions.
[Stakeholder Management/Business Operation] - 40%
- Serve as a lead advocate for innovation within Mastercard, representing Mastercard Labs externally across Japan, Korea, and Asia Pacific.
- Evangelize Digital Labs products and services to support business development and achieve shared revenue objectives.
- Provide leadership to a diverse team of UX designers, video content creators, developers, and stakeholders—fostering morale and cohesion in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Questions to consider:
- Are you passionate about product innovation and want to work with some of the world’s biggest brands to create innovative product prototypes & run programs to improve their innovation culture and methodologies?
- Do you have a passion for technology innovation, agile prototype development and new product design?
- Does playing a key playmaker role in supporting teams who are innovating and developing leading edge technology solutions excite you?
- Have you the capability to think on your feet, be hugely creative, cajole, encourage and negotiate all at the same time?
- Your strong points:
High level of empathy (park your ego at the door and step in your customer’s shoes).
Structured and consultative approach to problem solving.
You listen (actively!) more than you talk. Summarize, structure the conversation and show a way forward.
Ability to inspire and energize a group of diverse people.
Demonstrate confidence also when the situation gets increasingly ambiguous.
Interest and flair for business development with demonstrated results.
Knowledge / Experience Preferred
- Demonstrated experience in product innovation and consulting.
- Be interested in the product development process especially agile & design thinking methodologies.
- Experience working in multi-disciplinary groups through such activities as strategic planning, journey mapping, issue resolution, brainstorming and requirements gathering/definition.
- High energy, can-do attitude, very strong sense of ownership and desire to succeed with commensurate analytical and strategic skills.
- Strong presentation skills—must have persuasive “presence” and ability to effectively communicate technology to business people and business to technology people.
- Understanding / experience of innovation frameworks and practical technology application experience.
- Startup and/or consulting experience is preferred.
- Payments technology knowledge or experience in the industry would be a huge advantage.
Skills / Abilities (Desired)
- Organized, with an ability to provide expert facilitation skills in environments where the team agenda is not clear and the obvious solutions are not always the most appropriate.
- Leadership skills—must be able to influence others and navigate complex relationship scenarios & must be able to influence others without direct reporting relationships.
- Will value and promote having strong processes as a way of achieving consistent, high quality, repeatable results.
- Experience in management consultancy, product owner or scrum-master roles would be relevant.
- Ability to act effectively as a brand ambassador.
- Excellent verbal and written skills.
- Korean and Japanese fluency highly desirable.
- Willingness to travel.
- Work Location – Tokyo or Seoul.
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.
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.
