Lead Program Manager

Mastercard • O’Fallon, MO

1d

About The Position

The Lead Program Manager will drive strategic initiatives and ensure successful delivery of complex programs across multiple domains. This role requires strong leadership, governance, and communication skills to manage cross-functional teams, optimize processes, and deliver measurable outcomes aligned with organizational objectives.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Technology, or related field; Master’s preferred.
• Experience: 8+ years in program management with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Proven expertise in governance frameworks, budget management, and risk mitigation.
• Strong proficiency in JIRA/ALM, project portfolio tools, and reporting systems.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.

Nice To Haves

• PMP, PgMP, or similar certification.
• Experience in corporate security programs or regulated environments.
• Ability to manage multiple complex programs simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Champion Program Delivery Excellence (PDE) and enforce work standardization across projects.
• Drive adoption of tools such as JIRA/ALM and maintain the Mastercard Catalog.
• Develop and maintain program scoring models, roadmaps, and strategic plans.
• Define and track objectives, OKRs, and KPIs to measure success.
• Oversee work intake, elaboration, prioritization, and planning for programs.
• Manage governance processes including VoIP, Business Continuity, and BOMM.
• Provide project oversight, ensuring alignment with technical imperatives and compliance with OKRs.
• Deliver accurate and timely reporting to stakeholders.
• Lead stakeholder management and ensure effective information flow across teams.
• Drive change management initiatives and facilitate lessons learned sessions.
• Represent programs in cabinet meetings and executive forums.
• Manage contracts, renewals, and strategic funds for programs as needed.
• Develop staffing plans and ensure readiness through shovel-ready plans.
• Conduct efficiency exercises and manage RFP/RFI processes for vendor engagement.
• Identify and mitigate program risks, ensuring timely issue resolution.
• Monitor performance metrics and enforce quality assurance standards.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager