Manager, Strategy & Excellence

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, Strategy & Excellence
Overview
Join the South Asia Strategy team at Mastercard and play a pivotal role in driving some of the region's most critical and high-impact strategic initiatives.
This is a high-ownership, execution-focused role at the heart of South Asia's growth agenda-spanning strategy execution, business performance management, and ecosystem development across India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. You will work directly with the VP, Head of Strategy, operating as a core member of a lean team that partners closely with country leadership, AP/Global stakeholders, and external ecosystem players.
Your mandate is to translate strategic priorities into structured analysis, actionable plans, and measurable outcomes. This includes building robust financial and operating models, tracking performance against key metrics, and driving execution discipline across multiple concurrent initiatives.
You will be at the intersection of strategy, finance, and execution-supporting high-stakes projects involving governments, domestic networks, fintechs, and global Mastercard teams. The role requires strong problem-solving, attention to detail, and the ability to operate in ambiguity while maintaining a sharp focus on outcomes.
This role is ideal for someone early in their post-MBA journey who is looking to build a career in strategy and general management-combining analytical depth with hands-on execution experience in a fast-paced, high-visibility environment.
Are you someone who thrives in solving complex business problems through structured thinking and data-driven analysis?
Do you enjoy building from scratch-models, plans, and operating frameworks-and seeing them translate into real-world outcomes?
Are you energized by working across functions and stakeholders to drive tangible business impact?
Are you looking to be part of a small, high-performing team with outsized exposure and learning?
Your Responsibilities
1. Business Excellence & Administration• Support the operating backbone for South Asia strategy, including planning cycles, reviews, and governance forums• Build and manage financial models, tracking frameworks, and performance dashboards across key business metrics (revenue, pipelines, partnerships, and investments)• Track performance against targets and proactively highlight risks, gaps, and opportunities with clear action plans• Support budgeting and resource planning processes, ensuring alignment across South Asia and AP leadership• Drive consistency and rigor in business reporting, including MIS, dashboards, and executive updates• Ensure strong operating cadence across functions by tracking key initiatives, actionables, and follow-ups from leadership reviews• Coordinate cross-functional inputs to ensure alignment across Sales, Product, Finance, and other teams• Represent progress on strategic projects to the APEMEA Steering Committee (AP/Global) and drive collaborative decision-making.
2. Strategy Execution• Develop and drive the vision and strategy across multiple product, segment, or functional areas while ensuring operational excellence.• Create high-impact executive-level strategy documents, reports, and presentations that align with Mastercard's business priorities.• Apply analytical techniques to identify business issues and provide recommendations.• Support internal teams in strategy execution, including client relationship management and business development.• Lead cross-functional collaboration to align key stakeholders on strategic priorities and execution plans.• Translate strategic objectives into clear workplans, milestones, and measurable outcomes• Support development of business cases, including commercial constructs, financial projections, and scenario analysis• Work closely with internal and external stakeholders to drive project management, structure workstreams, and ensure timely delivery of outcomes
3. Competitive Intelligence & Data• Conduct deep-dive analysis on market trends, competitive dynamics, and emerging opportunities across payments and adjacent ecosystems• Build structured data-driven insights by synthesizing multiple data sources into clear, actionable recommendations• Develop fact-based perspectives on key strategic questions (e.g., market entry, partnerships, product gaps, and growth opportunities)• Support development of external and internal narratives that articulate Mastercard's value proposition and strategic positioning• Continuously refine analytical frameworks and tools to improve decision-making and tracking
About You
We are looking for a high-caliber professional with a background in strategy consulting, investment banking, corporate strategy, or a similar fast-paced, analytical role. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with strong execution skills, capable of operating in an entrepreneurial and results-driven environment.
Key Qualifications & Experience:• Educational Background: Bachelor's degree and an MBA from a top-tier business school.• Relevant Work Experience: Experience in strategy consulting, investment banking, corporate strategy, or financial services. Experience in payments, fintech, or digital products is a plus.• Business & Financial Acumen: Strong analytical skills, strategic thinking, and ability to develop go-to-market strategies with a deep understanding of Mastercard's products and revenue drivers.• Analytical & Financial Skills: Strong problem-solving abilities with hands-on experience in financial modeling, data analysis, and building structured business cases• Execution Focus: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple workstreams, drive follow-through, and deliver outcomes with attention to detail
Attention to Detail & Discipline: High level of rigor in analysis, tracking, and execution• Strategy to Execution: Proven experience in translating strategy into execution, managing multiple initiatives, and driving end-to-end execution in a cross-functional environment.• Project & People Management: Strong project management skills with experience leading cross-functional teams and managing competing priorities effectively.• Stakeholder & Communication Skills: Excellent communication skills and ability to influence senior stakeholders.• Entrepreneurial & Problem-Solving Mindset: Ability to work independently, think creatively, and manage multiple priorities under pressure.• Confidentiality & Discretion: Capable of handling sensitive information professionally.
This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a dynamic environment, balances strategic thinking with hands-on execution, and is eager to make an impact in the evolving payments landscape.
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.