Lead Software Engineer

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
Lead Software Engineer
Who is Mastercard?
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.
About the Role
The File Transfer team within the Platform Services group designs, builds, and operates the technology that powers Mastercard's market-facing and core platforms. This team enables secure, high-performance file transfers to and from customers across Mastercard's global ecosystem.
We are seeking a Lead Software Engineer to join our O'Fallon based team with a focus on building and operating our Global File Transfer platform. This platform underpins secure, seamless data movement across Mastercard's global infrastructure, including Mastercard's next-generation switch.
As a Lead Software Engineer, you will design, build, and maintain a secure and highly observable file transfer platform. The ideal candidate combines strong backend engineering expertise with the ability to lead design decisions, enforce coding standards, and drive operational reliability. This role also involves modernizing engineering practices, including the adoption of AI-assisted software development tools.
Why This Role?
• Work on mission-critical systems that ensure secure and reliable data movement across Mastercard's global infrastructure. • Leverage modern engineering tools and practices, including AI-driven development capabilities. • Drive innovation in platform reliability, security, and operability for one of the world's most trusted technology brands.
Role
• Architect and design scalable, maintainable, and secure solutions using best-in-class software design principles and microservices architecture. • Implement and manage unit, functional, and integration testing strategies to ensure software quality and reliability. • Perform code reviews to maintain high standards of quality, enforce best practices, and ensure maintainability. • Apply secure coding practices throughout the software development lifecycle to safeguard systems against security threats. • Lead software development efforts using Java, Spring Boot, and work with Oracle databases for performance tuning and data modeling. • Design and leverage data structures to optimize system performance and storage efficiency. • Enhance operability engineering by establishing robust observability, monitoring, and operational processes for production environments. • Troubleshoot complex technical issues, conduct root cause analysis, and implement long-term resolutions. • Advocate and drive adoption of AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Claude) for improved engineering workflows. • Mentor and coach peer engineers on best practices, testing methodologies, and secure development standards.
All About You
Required Qualifications
• Proven software engineering experience with a strong focus on backend systems. • Hands-on expertise in:
-- Java, Spring Boot
-- Oracle (SQL, performance tuning, data modeling) • Hands-on experience with MCP servers and other AI-assisted software development tools, such as GitHub Co-Pilot, Claude AI, Co-Pilot, Gemini, Etc., • Proven experience with high-availability distributed systems. • Knowledge and practical application of unit, functional, and integration testing frameworks. • Familiarity with secure coding techniques and security compliance standards. • Advanced proficiency in software design patterns and microservices. • Strong understanding of operability engineering, including observability and incident troubleshooting. • Ability to conduct effective code reviews and mentor team members. • Strong knowledge of data structures and their application in optimizing performance and scalability.
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with file transfer platforms (e.g., Sterling Connect: Direct, SFTP, MQ-based systems). • Exposure to configuration as code and robust configuration management practices. • Familiarity with cloud platforms and containerized deployments (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker). • Experience improving operational processes, runbooks, and reliability strategies for production systems.
Mastercard is a merit-based, inclusive, equal opportunity employer that considers applicants without regard to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disabled or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We hire the most qualified candidate for the role. In the US or Canada, if you require accommodations or assistance to complete the online application process or during the recruitment process, please contact [email protected] and identify the type of accommodation or assistance you are requesting. Do not include any medical or health information in this email. The Reasonable Accommodations team will respond to your email promptly.
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.

In line with Mastercard's total compensation philosophy and assuming that the job will be performed in the US, the successful candidate will be offered a competitive base salary and may be eligible for an annual bonus or commissions depending on the role. The base salary offered may vary depending on multiple factors, including but not limited to location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Mastercard benefits for full time (and certain part time) employees generally include: insurance (including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, disability, life insurance); flexible spending account and health savings account; paid leaves (including 16 weeks of new parent leave and up to 20 days of bereavement leave); 80 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time, 25 days of vacation time and 5 personal days, pro-rated based on date of hire; 10 annual paid U.S. observed holidays; 401k with a best-in-class company match; deferred compensation for eligible roles; fitness reimbursement or on-site fitness facilities; eligibility for tuition reimbursement; and many more. Mastercard benefits for interns generally include: 56 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time; jury duty leave; and on-site fitness facilities in some locations.
Pay Ranges
O'Fallon, Missouri: $140,000 - $231,000 USD