Senior Counsel, Blockchain & Digital Assets

Our Purpose 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. Title and Summary Senior Counsel, Blockchain & Digital Assets Job Description, Senior Counsel, Digital Assets & Product Integration Who is Mastercard? Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments, and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. Overview Mastercard is looking for an experienced lawyer to serve as a key legal advisor supporting the integration of BVNK and the development of next-generation digital asset, stablecoin, cross-border payments, and embedded finance solutions. This role will partner closely with multiple teams and stakeholders across Mastercard and BVNK including Product, Business Development, Privacy, Compliance, and Regulatory teams to enable strategic revenue synergies, accelerate go-to-market readiness, and support Mastercard's and BVNK’s evolving digital assets ecosystem. The position requires strong judgment, strategic thinking, and the ability to navigate complex regulatory and commercial issues in a rapidly evolving environment. The ideal candidate is highly motivated, intellectually curious and analytical, dedicated to delivering strategic and hands-on legal support and partnership to develop the next generation of Mastercard product solutions focused on enabling the future of payments. Role As Senior Counsel, you will be a member of the Law Department supporting Blockchain & Digital Assets team under Mastercard’s Core Payments business. You will handle product development and support legal matters for the business on a day-to-day basis, identifying and analyzing relevant issues and helping the business effectively navigate legal and regulatory risks and implement appropriate controls, policies and processes. You will: • Manage legal support for the daily operations of Mastercard’s global digital assets products and services, reporting into the Senior Managing Counsel for Digital Assets. • Manage tactical and strategic legal support related to products and solutions to advance Mastercard’s corporate objectives, including Mastercard’s stablecoin, digital assets, and blockchain strategy. • Develop strong relationships with product development and business and sales clients. • Collaborate with product, technology, regulatory, sales, franchise, marketing, communications and others to develop and launch innovative products and solutions that differentiate Mastercard and meet our customers’ and cardholders’ rapidly changing needs. • Assist in managing and mitigating legal, regulatory and commercial risks by providing solution oriented guidance. • Assist in the monitoring and evaluation of applicable laws and government regulations affecting the operation and product development of Mastercard’s digital assets business. • Inform policy and regulatory positions related to Mastercard’s products and innovation with relevant internal and external stakeholders. • Advise from the concept through development to launch stage and beyond of various solutions and services: o ensuring alignment and compliance of products and services with Mastercard’s policies, procedures and processes and with local and global regulatory and commercial laws; o covering a broad range of commercial and contractual matters, including product and marketing legal review, pilot agreements, and bid process support; o draft, review and negotiate a wide range of contracts (including complex digital assets technology agreements, customer and vendor agreements). • Identify needed process improvements and efficiencies; own and execute solutions to support Mastercard’s transformation strategy and streamline processes to increase ease of doing business. • Take responsibility for special projects while continuing to handle a steady stream of day-to-day matters. • Instruct and manage external counsel within agreed policy and budget. Please note that roles within Mastercard evolve with the needs of the business and department. Therefore, the above is a guideline and by no means comprehensive. Location This role will be based in Purchase, NY. As our team supports the business globally, the role may require limited travel and ability to support other time zones. All About You • A qualified lawyer with a solid academic and training background, licensed to practice in New York. • Experience in the financial services industry, emerging technology, stablecoin and other digital currencies, and the use of public and private blockchains. • Experience working on products and solutions involving digital assets and advising on related legal issues. Good working knowledge of the regulatory landscape and legal issues relating to digital assets. • Experience across a range of commercial and technology contracts and the ability to analyze and identify the core legal issues, skilled at explaining technical problems succinctly and clearly. • A working knowledge of data privacy and intellectual property issues and how they relate to emerging technolo