Director, SME Alternative Distribution, Product Management (12 Month FTC)

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
Director, SME Alternative Distribution, Product Management (12 Month FTC)
About the Role
Mastercard is seeking a dynamic and strategic leader to cover a 12-month maternity leave for the role of Director, SME Alternative Distribution Channel - Europe. This position plays a pivotal role in shaping and executing Mastercard's go-to-market (GTM) strategy for embedded payment and financial services targeting non-financial institutions (non-FIs) such as ISVs, PayFacs, wholesalers, marketplaces, and other platforms serving small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A key focus of this role is to unlock new opportunities across B2B payment flows-helping Mastercard and its partners digitize, streamline, and capture value in the rapidly evolving landscape of SME commerce and trade.
Key Responsibilities• Develop, refine and validate the value proposition for Mastercard and partner solutions tailored to non-FI channels.• Lead the go-to-market strategy across European markets, ensuring alignment with Mastercard's SME strategy and non-FI partner capabilities.• Identify and engage with strategic partners (ISVs, PayFacs, wholesalers, platforms) to embed payment and financial services into their ecosystems.• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, sales, marketing, and regional teams to drive adoption and scale.• Monitor market trends, competitive landscape, and regulatory developments to inform strategy and innovation.• Act as a thought leader and advocate for embedded finance within the SME segment.
Why This Role Matters
The SME segment is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rise of embedded finance - a paradigm shift where financial services are seamlessly integrated into the platforms SMEs already use to run their businesses. This trend is revolutionizing how SMEs access payments, banking, lending, and financial management tools, making them more efficient, agile, and digitally empowered.
Non-FI channels are at the forefront of this revolution, offering Mastercard a unique opportunity to scale impact through partnerships that reach millions of SMEs across Europe. This role is critical to unlocking that potential.
What We're Looking For• Proven experience in product management, business development, or GTM strategy in payments, fintech, or platform ecosystems.• Experience working with or within ISVs, PayFacs, marketplaces, or B2B platforms is highly desirable.• Deep understanding of the SME landscape and the evolving role of embedded finance.• Strong strategic thinking and execution skills, with the ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments.• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with a collaborative and entrepreneurial mindset.
What You'll Gain• A front-row seat in one of the most dynamic and fast-evolving segments of the financial services industry.• The opportunity to shape Mastercard's strategy in a space that is redefining SME banking and payments.• A highly collaborative environment with passionate teams driving innovation across Europe.
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.