Director Account Management - SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises)

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 Account Management - SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises)
Mastercard is seeking a Director, Account Management SME based in Istanbul to support SME growth across Eastern Europe and Central Asia markets, including Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and adjacent countries.
This role focuses on developing and scaling partnerships, supporting SME-focused initiatives, and strengthening ecosystem engagement across the region. The successful candidate will work with internal and external stakeholders to identify opportunities that enhance Mastercard's SME value proposition and increase access to innovative payment solutions for small and medium-sized businesses.
A key focus of the role is expanding Mastercard's SME reach beyond traditional issuing and acquiring channels by establishing and nurturing partnerships across fintechs, marketplaces, telecommunications providers, payroll companies, trade and logistics platforms, and other ecosystem participants.
The role will support the development and implementation of SME initiatives, helping ensure successful adoption of solutions and long-term engagement among partners. The individual will also contribute to market-level strategy, promote awareness of Mastercard's SME initiatives, and represent Mastercard in relevant industry discussions and ecosystem forums.
Working closely with Account Management, Product, Customer Solutions, and regional stakeholders, this position will help design and implement programs that address SME needs and support Mastercard's broader strategic objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Support the development and execution of SME-focused initiatives across Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Identify and cultivate partnerships with organizations that can help expand Mastercard's SME ecosystem.
Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to implement programs that address evolving SME needs.
Contribute to the growth of Mastercard's SME presence across banks, acquirers, fintechs, marketplaces, telecommunications providers, trade and logistics platforms, and other ecosystem participants.
Support the design and delivery of partner propositions and SME-focused programs.
Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure successful implementation and ongoing optimization of SME initiatives.
Develop partnership frameworks, engagement plans, and governance models to support long-term collaboration.
Monitor market trends, customer needs, and ecosystem developments to identify opportunities for innovation.
Represent Mastercard in client meetings, industry events, ecosystem forums, and working groups.
Collaborate with Product and Customer Solutions teams to support solution implementation and partner engagement.
Develop presentations, workshops, training materials, and stakeholder communications related to SME initiatives.
Promote consistent messaging and thought leadership around Mastercard's SME strategy across internal and external audiences.
All About You
Experience in partnerships, ecosystem management, program management, strategy, consulting, or related functions.
Ability to engage effectively with a broad range of stakeholders, including business, product, and technical teams.
Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Understanding of payments, financial services, fintech, or digital platforms.
Excellent relationship-building, communication, and stakeholder management capabilities.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a global matrix organization.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience developing business cases, strategic recommendations, and executive-level presentations.
Ability to create clear, structured, and compelling communication materials for diverse audiences.
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives from planning through implementation.
Experience in SME banking, SME payments, fintech, consulting, partnership management, or ecosystem development is highly desirable.
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.