Research Director, Solutions, ARC

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build asustainableeconomy 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 a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

Research Director, New Solutions, ARC

All About Us

Mastercard’s Services organization is a key differentiator, providing services that help customers grow through expertise, data-driven insights, and execution. Within Services, Advisors & Consulting Services delivers projects and platforms for clients globally, staffed flexibly across geographies and skills.

The Advisors Research Center (ARC) is a global research capability that provides primary and secondary research support across quantitative and qualitative methodologies, partnering with internal stakeholders and external vendors to deliver insight-led outcomes for our clients.

The Research Director drives the identification, testing, and adoption of innovative research methodologies, technologies, and AI capabilities that enable ARC to deliver research faster, better, and more efficiently. The role combines two responsibilities:

• Global Research Innovation:
  Scout emerging research and AI capabilities, run proof-of-concepts, evaluate vendors, and provide evidence-based recommendations to inform ARC's product, platform, and in sourcing strategies.
• Arabia Research Solutions:
  Support research scoping, methodology design, pricing, vendor management, and fieldwork procurement for client and internal engagements across the Arabia region.

• Identify emerging research, AI, and automation opportunities across the research lifecycle.
• Design and execute pilots to assess new methodologies, tools, and vendors.
• Develop recommendations on adoption, scaling, or discontinuation based on evidence and business impact.
• Support in sourcing and product teams by providing research expertise and validated innovation findings.
• Evaluate research and AI vendors for quality, commercial fit, scalability, and compliance.
• Drive responsible AI adoption aligned with governance, privacy, and quality standards.
• Develop playbooks, training, and best practices to enable adoption across ARC.

• Serve as a key point of contact for research intake, scoping, methodology design, and pricing.
• Support proposal development and project handovers to delivery teams.
• Manage vendor feasibility assessments, RFQs/RFPs, and fieldwork procurement.
• Coordinate supplier onboarding and contracting with Legal, Sourcing, and Privacy teams.
• Maintain reporting and dashboards for revenue, pipeline, backlog, and business performance.
• Support internal enablement and communication of ARC offerings and research capabilities.

• Extensive experience in market research, research technology, or agency environments.
• Deep knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
• Experience applying AI, automation, or emerging technologies to research processes.
• Strong skills in experimentation, vendor management, commercial negotiations, and project governance.
• Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong analytical, reporting, communication, and documentation skills.
• Experience in financial services, payments, technology, retail, or similar data-rich industries is preferred.

• Increased adoption of validated research innovations and AI…