Director, Controller - Core

Director, Controller
- Core Payment

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

The Director, Controller
- Core Payments reports to the VP, Controller – Core Payments and CNPF, and is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the financial statements as they pertain to the Core Payments business unit, with particular focus on the Blockchain and Digital Payments space, in partnership with global and regional finance teams, treasury, regional controllership, and the Global Business Shared Service Organization (GBSC).

This position will help establish a best-in-class controllership function for a highly complex, strategically important, and rapidly expanding set of capabilities that supports digital assets and value movement across currencies, rails and regions. The Controller – Core Payments, must possess strong leadership skills to engage teams to optimize and transform the current structure while using their technical skillset to establish and, where necessary, enhance processes and internal controls.

This role operates in an environment where US GAAP, SEC interpretations, and regulatory expectations are actively evolving and requires strong judgment, governance, and audit readiness. The successful candidate will bring deep accounting expertise and strategic thinking to this role.

Roles and responsibilities include:

• Partner with Core Payments business unit finance partners and advise on accounting-related matters for business transactions and accounting/regulatory standards, including (but not limited to) revenue recognition, expense recognition and other complex digital assets and related cross-business initiatives.
• Assess accounting implications of operating models, including custodial vs. non-custodial arrangements, agency vs. principal considerations, and interaction with revenue recognition under ASC 606.
• Liaise with Regional Controllers on global initiatives to ensure consistency and accuracy across all regions.
• Interface with external auditors regarding the application of generally accepted accounting principles to transactions and matters in the digital payments space.
• Manage compliance activities as needed (e.g., Mastercard policies, Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), Internal Audit, Operational Risk Management (ORM)) and communicate potential exposures to leadership.
• Partner with internal financial reporting teams to ensure disclosures reflect both accounting requirements and evolving regulatory expectations.
• Assist with the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and ad hoc management reporting, including variance analysis, technical position memos, and executive presentations; ensure appropriate documentation of accounting positions is in place; and advise senior management on complex transactions.
• Influence change through strong, collaborative partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, including Business and Finance Executives, peers, Products and Services business partners, Regional Controllers, GBSC, and third-party vendors.
• Review processes periodically to ensure risks are operationally mitigated based on design and the evolution of business processes.
• Identify opportunities to implement automated solutions to streamline processes.
• Partner with the finance operations team to ensure front-end and back-end controls are implemented to mitigate key risks.
• Coordinate with the technical accounting team, ensuring consistent application of Mastercard policies and procedures and providing consulting/change management support as needed.
• Complete special requests from senior management for analysis, research, and detailed information, including other projects deemed necessary from time to time by the Corporate Controller; these requests may include researching,…