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Mastercard

Lead AI Engineer

Mastercard, Arlington, Virginia, United States, 22201

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Overview

Lead AI Engineer at Mastercard. Join to apply for the Lead AI Engineer role at Mastercard. Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. 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 products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential. The Role

At Mastercard, we’re building next-generation AI-powered platforms to drive innovation and impact. As a

Lead AI Engineer , you’ll work with cutting-edge tools, large language models (LLMs), and emerging frameworks to develop intelligent systems. You’ll collaborate with senior engineers, data scientists, and product teams—gaining hands-on experience while contributing to real-world AI solutions. You’ll help implement Agentic AI systems, develop backend services, and explore new AI capabilities. Your focus will include prompt engineering, guardrail design, and experimentation to ensure safe, scalable, and effective AI applications. Key Responsibilities

Develop and enhance AI agents and backend systems for Mastercard’s AI platform Evaluate LLMs and emerging technologies to identify innovation opportunities Design and optimize prompts for LLMs Implement safeguards to ensure secure, ethical AI responses Build APIs, microservices, and data integrations for AI features Write clean, maintainable code following industry best practices Stay current with advancements in AI and software engineering All About You

Strong hands-on experience and understanding of AI/ML concepts and enthusiasm for generative AI Experience with Python and backend frameworks (e.g., FastAPI, Flask, Node.js) Knowledge of REST APIs and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) Strong analytical skills and curiosity for exploring new AI capabilities Collaborative mindset and openness to feedback and mentorship Interest in prompt engineering, AI safety, and scalable deployment Why Join Us

At Mastercard, you’ll help shape the future of AI in global commerce—solving complex challenges at scale, driving financial inclusion, and reinforcing the trust and security that define our brand. You’ll work with world-class talent, cutting-edge technologies, and will make a lasting impact. 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. In the US or Canada, if you require accommodations or assistance to complete the online application process or during the recruitment process, please contact reasonable_accommodation@mastercard.com 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. Salary and Benefits

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 location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Mastercard benefits for full-time employees generally include: medical/dental/vision, FSA/HSA, paid leaves (including 16 weeks of new parent leave and up to 20 days of bereavement leave), sick time, vacation, holidays, 401k with company match, and other benefits. Pay Ranges Arlington, Virginia: $137,000 - $218,000 USD O'Fallon, Missouri: $119,000 - $190,000 USD Purchase, New York: $137,000 - $219,000 USD San Francisco, California: $143,000 - $228,000 USD Job Details

Seniority level: Mid-Senior level Employment type: Full-time Job function: Engineering and Information Technology Industries: Financial Services, IT Services and IT Consulting, Technology We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.

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