Principal Software Engineer

Mastercard•O'fallon, MO

2d•$170,000 - $281,000

About The Position

Mastercard Labs / Foundry empowers innovation by exploring emerging technologies and building cutting-edge solutions that shape the future of commerce. The team develops highly scalable solutions from inception to execution and accelerates technology evaluation and adoption. As a Principal Software Engineer, you will collaborate with stakeholders across Product, Technical, Business Operations, and other Mastercard teams to understand product requirements and lead the design and architecture of scalable solutions. You will design software architecture aligned with Mastercard standards, present solutions to the Solution Architecture Board for approval, and develop and support application software according to Mastercard standards, processes, and best practices. The role delivers high-quality, secure, and scalable software aligned with the product roadmap and within time and budget constraints. The position also involves evaluating technical alternatives, maintaining system and testing documentation, ensuring compliance with audit and QA/QC requirements, modernizing existing architectures, supporting project and software metrics, and mentoring team members. The engineer is expected to contribute hands-on and provide collaborative technical leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
Extensive software development experience and a strong track record of delivering enterprise-grade solutions.
Deep understanding of software engineering concepts, methodologies, and Agile/SAFe Agile practices.
Proven expertise in software architecture, design, and application development.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to learn and apply new technologies and frameworks quickly.
High energy, attention to detail, initiative, and the ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines.
Strong collaboration and organizational skills, initiative, and self-motivation.
Ability to work effectively in a matrixed, geographically distributed team environment.
Excellent troubleshooting skills and a proactive approach to problem-solving.
Experience building high-performing, secure applications, with a strong grasp of architecture, performance, and security principles.
Proficiency in Java-based systems and services, Azure or AWS cloud technologies, AI/ML, generative AI, and microservices architecture.
Expertise in Spring, RESTful services, API design principles, and best practices.
Familiarity with data modeling, database design, data warehousing, Oracle, Redis, and reporting technologies.
Strong knowledge of Mastercard privacy by design.
Knowledge of enterprise-level application frameworks and tools.
Experience designing and architecting high-volume data systems using Hadoop, Snowflake, Databricks, or other modern data platforms.
Strong understanding of data pipelines, ETL/ELT processes, and distributed data processing frameworks such as Spark and Hive.
Ability to build scalable, fault-tolerant data architectures for real-time and batch analytics.
Familiarity with data governance, data quality, and security best practices in large-scale data environments.

Nice To Haves

Strong knowledge of card ecosystem domains, including Loyalty, Clearing, Fraud, Disputes, Issuer, Acquirer, and Merchant.
Experience in Core payments, Loyalty, or Fraud domains.
Passion for building innovative solutions that positively impact global payments.
Data-savvy mindset and understanding of how data can enhance convenience and security in payments.
Mission focus aligned with business objectives and team success.
Strong stakeholder management and expectation-setting skills.
Confidence articulating technology vision and roadmaps to diverse audiences.
Problem-solving ability and a results-driven mindset.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with Product, Technical, Business Operations, and other Mastercard stakeholders to understand product requirements and lead the design and architecture of scalable solutions.
Design software architecture aligned with Mastercard standards and present solutions to the Solution Architecture Board for approval.
Develop and support application software in accordance with Mastercard standards, processes, and best practices.
Deliver high-quality, secure, and scalable software solutions aligned with the product roadmap and within time and budget constraints.
Research and evaluate technical solution alternatives to meet business needs.
Create and maintain system and testing documentation according to departmental standards.
Ensure compliance with audit requirements and Mastercard QA/QC processes.
Modernize and simplify existing architectures to improve scalability, performance, and operational efficiency.
Promote engineering excellence through hands-on contributions and collaborative leadership.
Support collection and reporting of project and software metrics.
Mentor and coach team members to foster engineering leadership.

Benefits

Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, disability, and 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, prorated based on date of hire.
10 annual paid U.S. observed holidays.
401(k) with company match.
Deferred compensation for eligible roles.
Fitness reimbursement or on-site fitness facilities.
Eligibility for tuition reimbursement.