Director, Software Engineering

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, Software Engineering
Director, Software Engineering
Mastercard Foundry R&D - Singapore
Overview
We are seeking a Director, Software Engineering to join the Mastercard Foundry R&D team. In this role, you will lead highly skilled R&D engineers to explore emerging technologies, build innovative prototypes, and deliver scalable pilot solutions.
The ideal candidate is an accomplished people leader who thrives in a fast-paced innovation environment and can translate emerging technology into meaningful business and customer outcomes. You will combine technical depth, delivery discipline, and strong communication skills to drive R&D initiatives across domains such as Generative AI, Agentic Systems, IoT, XR, Web3, and Distributed Ledger Technologies, while serving as a role model for modern, AI-enabled engineering practices.
What You'll Do:
Lead and Grow High-Performing R&D Teams
Manage, mentor, and inspire senior engineers and technical leads
Foster an environment of accountability, learning, and continuous improvement through coaching, feedback, and clear goals
Drive Innovation and Technology Exploration
Guide experimentation and rapid prototyping across emerging technology areas, including Generative AI, agentic systems, IoT, XR, Web3, and Distributed Ledger Technologies
Help teams move from ideas to validated prototypes and pilots
Own End-to-End Delivery of R&D Initiatives
Oversee multiple concurrent initiatives from concept through prototype and pilot
Ensure delivery quality through strong engineering practices, agile execution, risk management, and transparent reporting
Provide Technical and Architectural Leadership
Guide architectural decisions and review designs to ensure solutions are scalable, secure, and extensible
Promote reuse, modularity, and sound engineering trade-offs across initiatives
Champion AI-Enabled Engineering Practices
Actively use modern AI tools in your own work
Advocate for responsible adoption of AI-assisted engineering to improve productivity, quality, and speed of experimentation
Partner with Stakeholders and Represent Foundry R&D
Collaborate with product, business, and technology stakeholders to shape priorities and solutions
Communicate progress, outcomes, and learnings clearly to senior leadership and partners
What You'll Bring:
Strong People Leadership
Proven ability to motivate, develop, and retain highly skilled engineers in R&D or innovation-driven environments
Innovation Mindset
Curiosity and passion for emerging technologies, with the ability to turn exploration into tangible prototypes and learning outcomes
Execution Focus
Comfort balancing experimentation with delivery discipline, enabling teams to learn fast while making measurable progress
Stakeholder Confidence
Ability to communicate complex technical topics clearly and concisely to diverse audiences, including senior leaders
Hands-On Credibility
Sufficient technical depth to engage in design discussions, challenge assumptions, and guide teams toward better solutions
Required Skills:
Education & Experience
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent practical experience
12+ years of software engineering experience, including 2+ years in engineering leadership or people management roles
Software Engineering Fundamentals
Strong understanding of modern engineering practices, system design, and architectural patterns for scalable and resilient systems
Project & Delivery Management
Experience managing multiple parallel initiatives using agile or iterative delivery models
Strong skills in planning, prioritization, risk management, and reporting
Leadership & Communication
Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage performance, and communicate effectively in written and verbal form
AI Awareness & Adoption
Practical familiarity with modern AI tools and workflows
Ability to promote effective and responsible AI adoption within engineering teams
Preferred Skills:
Advanced Education & Leadership Experience
Master's degree in Computer Science or related field
3-5 years of people leadership experience demonstrating empowerment, mentorship, conflict resolution, and strategic thinking
Emerging Technology Expertise
Hands-on or leadership experience in Generative AI, agentic systems, IoT, XR, Web3, or Distributed Ledger Technologies
Innovation or Lab Environment Background
Experience in R&D labs, innovation hubs, or consulting-style environments focused on rapid prototyping and experimentation
Enterprise & Platform Experience
Exposure to large-scale distributed systems and enterprise integration challenges
Thought Leadership
Contributions to patents, publications, open-source projects, or internal technology communities
Global & Cross-Cultural Experience
Experience working with geographically distributed teams and stakeholders across regions
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.