Director, Government Affairs and Policy

Mastercard • Toronto, ON

10d • Hybrid

About The Position

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in over 200 countries and territories, working with customers to build a sustainable economy. The company supports digital payments, ensuring secure, simple, smart, and accessible transactions through its technology, innovation, partnerships, and networks. The Government Affairs & Policy (GAP) team at Mastercard aims to shape the policy environment to protect the business, foster growth, and promote innovation by engaging with policymakers, trade associations, and third-party voices. This role is for a Director, Government Affairs & Policy, Canada, responsible for leading and executing Mastercard's government relations and public policy strategy across Canada. The position involves advancing the company’s policy priorities through engagement with government stakeholders, industry partners, and internal teams. The ideal candidate should be organized, detail-oriented, politically curious, and adept at cross-team collaboration to shape Mastercard’s presence in Canada. The role can be based in Toronto or Ottawa and reports to the Senior Vice President, Government Affairs & Stakeholder Engagement.

Requirements

• Significant experience in government affairs, public policy, regulatory affairs, or a related field, with a strong focus on Canada.
• Demonstrated understanding of Canadian legislative and regulatory processes.
• Proven ability to engage credibly with senior government officials and external stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing policy briefs and executive-level materials.
• Ability to work effectively in a matrixed, cross-functional, and multinational environment.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement government affairs and public policy strategies to support the company’s business objectives in Canada.
• Monitor, analyze, and influence legislative, regulatory, and political developments at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Canadian government officials, regulators, policymakers, and relevant agencies.
• Represent the company in external forums, including industry associations, coalitions, and policy working groups.
• Partner closely with internal stakeholders—including legal, communications, product, and regional government affairs teams—to align policy positions and advocacy efforts.
• Provide strategic guidance and policy insights to senior leadership on issues affecting the Canadian market.
• Support the development of policy positions, briefings, written submissions, and stakeholder communications related to government affairs initiatives.
• Coordinate with regional and global public policy teams to ensure consistency of messaging and alignment with enterprise-wide priorities.

Benefits

• competitive pay based on location, experience and other qualifications for the role
• may be eligible to participate in a discretionary annual incentive program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees