Senior People Specialist, Services

Mastercard•Arlington, VA

3d•$98,000 - $152,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Mastercard is seeking a Senior People Specialist to support the execution of critical people priorities across multiple Product organizations within its Services business. This role offers a unique opportunity to gain deep exposure to the People Business Partner (PBP) craft, support a rapidly evolving business, and operate in a highly visible space with senior executives. The individual will work closely with People Business Partners, Centers of Expertise, business leaders, and cross-functional partners to ensure programs, processes, and organizational initiatives are executed with excellence. This role reports directly to a Senior Vice President, People Business Partner for Services – Consumer Acquisition & Engagement, Business & Market Insights, and Open Finance. Success requires strong judgment, high ownership, proactive communication, and the ability to operate with speed, discretion, and precision.

Requirements

Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities at speed while maintaining high-quality output.
Strong critical thinking skills and a data-driven approach to problem-solving.
Comfortable operating in fast-paced, matrixed, and evolving environments.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparing materials for senior audiences.
Ability to anticipate needs, raise risks early, and drive clarity and alignment across stakeholders.
Strong proficiency with Excel and comfort working with data (pivot tables, trend analysis, modeling).
Comfort or experience with AI Tools like Co-Pilot.
Experience with Workday strongly preferred; ability to learn and master new HR tools quickly.
Proactive, resourceful, highly organized, and able to exercise sound judgment.
Thrives in a role that blends strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
Operates with discretion, maturity, and credibility in interactions with senior leaders.
Curious, eager to learn, and motivated by supporting a growing and dynamic product organization.

Responsibilities

Own timely execution of day-to-day People Strategy deliverables for the Services business, ensuring exceptional follow-through and partnership with PBPs and business stakeholders.
Manage cyclical people processes (Talent, Compensation, Performance Calibration, Organizational Health Inputs) with strong attention to detail, anticipating needs and ensuring readiness across leaders and teams.
Serve as the operational anchor for the PBP team—driving clarity, timelines, coordination, and quality in deliverables.
Act as a proactive contributor to the People Specialists community by identifying opportunities for continuous process improvement and enhancing operational efficiency through innovative tools, automation, and AI-enabled interventions.
Support organizational effectiveness and change initiatives, including structure design, transitions, and leadership team enablement.
Be the lead point person for the coordination of our Launcher (early careers) program, across all of Services, working closely with the Talent Acquisition team and People Business Partners.
Help build executive-ready materials, narratives, and analyses for senior People Business Partners and leaders.
Manage discreet, sensitive workstreams with high confidentiality and sound judgment.
Conduct analysis across headcount, cost, attrition, hiring, talent, and engagement data to translate findings into actionable insights for PBPs and business leaders.
Partner with People Analytics and Finance teams to prepare data packs, track key metrics, and proactively surface trends.
Support position management, organizational modeling, and headcount planning.
Draft clear, compelling communications for leaders, employees, and partners.
Coordinate communication workflows and support experience design for major people initiatives.
Ensure HR systems (Workday, dashboards, portals) are leveraged effectively and consistently.
Provide operating leverage to 2-3 Global People Business Partners, including preparing materials, synthesizing updates across stakeholders, and driving actions to closure.
Act as an extension of the SVP to help ensure coordination, alignment, and transparency across the Services Product PBP team.
Partner closely with peers to ensure seamless delivery across workstreams.

Benefits

insurance (including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, disability, life insurance)
flexible spending account and health savings account
16 weeks of new parent leave
up to 20 days of bereavement leave
80 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time
25 days of vacation time
5 personal days
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