Principal Project Manager

Principal Project Manager

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.

The Global Business Solutions Center (GBSC) Project Management team serves as an internal consulting partner to the Shared Services Organization, supporting four key verticals: Marketing, Finance, People and Capability, Law, Franchise, and Integrity.

We are seeking a Principal Project Manager to help drive our customer experience strategy forward through innovation and problem solving. This role will support the identification, planning, and execution of projects across the Shared Services Organization and its stakeholder groups.

The ideal candidate is a highly collaborative professional with strong process and project management skills, capable of coordinating global relationships across cross-functional teams, third-party providers, and regional stakeholders. Working closely with Operational Workstream Leads and key internal partners, this individual will help identify opportunities, develop project plans, and deliver strategic initiatives.

Role

• Plan, develop, and manage project schedules to ensure the timely completion of key milestones and deliverables across cross-functional initiatives.
• Partner with Finance, Legal, and other business stakeholders to support operational initiatives, ensuring alignment with financial controls, regulatory considerations, and business priorities.
• Identify opportunities to enhance processes and tools by analyzing inefficiencies and recommending scalable solutions that support best practices and continuous improvement.
• Create, manage, and distribute status and progress reports to keep leadership and project teams informed on project performance, risks, and timelines.
• Provide regular updates to senior management on the status of critical project deliverables, key risks, and milestone progress.
• Conduct analysis and assessment activities to deliver timely insights and actionable recommendations to stakeholders, supporting data-driven decision-making.
• Facilitate collaboration across business, Finance, and Legal teams to ensure projects meet operational, compliance, and governance requirements.

All About You

• Experience supporting large-scale, cross-functional transformation initiatives within complex organizations.
• Proven ability to evaluate business processes and recommend strategies to streamline operations and improve efficiency (e.g., Lean Six Sigma methodologies).
• Experience partnering with Finance and Legal teams to support initiatives involving governance, financial oversight, regulatory requirements, or operational controls.
• Background in management consulting, professional services, or internal consulting roles, with experience advising stakeholders on business process improvements and strategic initiatives.
• Strong project and/or program management experience with a solid understanding of the full project lifecycle.
• Experience in risk management and investigations, with the ability to apply sound judgment and provide thoughtful consultation on business process improvements.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills with strong stakeholder management abilities.
• Demonstrated experience analyzing operational data to inform business decisions, with expertise in process management, including process design, optimization, and systems improvement.