Principal Software Engineer, Data Architecture

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
Principal Software Engineer, Data Architecture
Overview:
Mastercard's Data & Analytics organization is seeking a visionary Principal Software Engineer, Data Architecture to shape and evolve our global enterprise data architecture. Reporting to the SVP, this role serves as the senior technical authority defining how data is designed, governed, secured, and distributed across Mastercard's complex, global ecosystem.
You will set the architectural vision for modernizing data platforms across a hybrid cloud and on premises environment, supporting both high throughput batch processing and low latency, real time use cases. Your leadership will enable Mastercard's "edge everywhere, run anywhere" strategy, allowing products and platforms to deploy data workloads consistently, securely, and at scale across our worldwide footprint.
This role combines deep hands on technical expertise with enterprise influence, enabling Mastercard to unlock the full value of its data while meeting stringent regulatory, resiliency, and performance requirements.
Role:• Serve as the foundational technical leader for enterprise data architecture, partnering closely with the SVP and senior technology leadership.• Act as a trusted advisor to C suite and executive stakeholders, translating business strategy into scalable data architecture decisions.• Define and evolve the global data architecture roadmap across hybrid (cloud + on prem) environments.• Architect secure, resilient solutions that meet global regulatory and compliance mandates, including GDPR, ISO 20022, and regional data localization requirements.• Champion Data Mesh principles, treating data as a product with federated ownership, governance, and self service enablement.• Establish organization wide architecture standards and development best practices through the Data & Analytics Architecture Review Board.• Lead the modernization of legacy data platforms to cloud native architectures across AWS, Azure, and GCP.• Drive adoption of modern data technologies, including Databricks, Snowflake, Delta Lake, and streaming platforms.• Enable both real time and batch analytics use cases to support high availability, mission critical workloads.• Mentor and influence global engineering teams, fostering a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and thoughtful risk taking.
All About You:• Proven experience operating as a Principal Engineer or equivalent, leading enterprise scale data architecture or platform strategy.• Deep expertise designing, building, and operating distributed data systems at global scale.• Hands on experience with technologies such as Apache Spark, Kafka, Flink, and NiFi.• Demonstrated success modernizing data platforms using cloud native architectures across AWS, Azure, and/or GCP.• Experience integrating AI driven capabilities into data platforms, with appropriate governance and guardrails for emerging use cases, including agentic commerce.• Strong understanding of data governance, security, and regulatory compliance in highly regulated, global environments.• Proven ability to lead and influence architectural initiatives within Agile, SAFe, or product centric delivery models, partnering effectively with product, engineering, and business stakeholders.• Demonstrated ability to influence technical and business decisions at all levels, including C-suite stakeholders.• Strong executive presence with the ability to translate complex architecture concepts into business language.• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to executive and non technical audiences.• Strong Decency Quotient (DQ) with a track record of building inclusive, collaborative, high performing teams.• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent practical experience.
This role is not eligible for Mastercard's work authorization sponsorship. As such, candidates must be eligible to work in the United States, now as well as in the future, without employer sponsorship.
#LI-NF1
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: $170,000 - $281,000 USD
Arlington, Virginia: $196,000 - $323,000 USD
New York City, New York: $204,000 - $337,000 USD