Mastercard is expanding its engineering leadership team in Pune and is looking for experienced professionals who can drive both technical excellence and team collaboration.

This opportunity is designed for senior engineers who want to work on large-scale, secure payment platforms while influencing architecture, performance, and long-term system design decisions.
Position: Lead Software Engineer
Location: Pune
Experience: 8 to 12 Years
Qualification: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related discipline.
Job Type: Full Type

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee 1-2 scrum teams’ technical and architectural choices, making sure they complement the system architecture as a whole.
• Get an excellent knowledge of dependent systems and end-to-end scientific architecture to enable efficient team communication.
• Create scalable, secure, and high-quality software solutions in accordance with technical standards, making sure they fulfill performance and financial requirements.
• Lead team discussions on trade-offs in code, design, and processes while making well-informed choices to strike a balance between business requirements and technical complexity.
• Facilitate discussions on code, design, and process decisions across teams, ensuring a balance between technical challenges and business goals.
• Continuously explore and implement new technical approaches to address changing business requirements.
• Lead system integration initiatives with a focus on enhancing the user experience.
• Enhance project and software metric tracking to provide greater insight into progress and system performance.
• Improve engineering operations by identifying inefficiencies and addressing recurring issues.
• Streamline team workflows by implementing process enhancements to reduce waste and boost productivity.
• Promote knowledge sharing and adoption of best practices across teams to increase efficiency and reuse.
• Offer mentorship and technical guidance, especially in architectural decision-making.

Required Skills:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related discipline.
• 8 to 12 years of experience in software engineering, with demonstrated experience in a leadership capacity.
• Strong expertise in Java/J2EE technologies, including Spring Boot, JUnit, Hibernate, Messaging, Web Services, and REST APIs.
• Experience with microservices architecture and development is highly preferred.
• Proficient in web technologies such as JavaScript, CSS, JSON/XML, and Angular JS or similar frameworks.
• Expertise in SQL, PL/SQL, and Oracle databases is required.
• Experience in Test-Driven Development (TDD) and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD), focusing on building robust, minimal code to meet functional requirements.
• Hands-on experience in implementing CI/CD pipelines using tools like Git/BitBucket, Jenkins, Maven, Artifactory, and Chef.
• Working knowledge of cloud-based application development and deployment.
• Domain knowledge in payments, particularly card payments, is a strong plus.
• Familiarity with IT Security tools, information security principles, and PCI DSS Compliance is desirable.
• Proven experience in Agile methodologies such as Scrum, Kanban, or SAFe.
• Must be highly energetic, detail-oriented, and able to manage pressure to meet deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) with a proven ability to articulate complex technical concepts.
• Ability to rapidly learn and apply new technologies, frameworks, and tools in dynamic environments.
• Self-motivated with the ability to lead projects and initiatives with minimal supervision.
• Strong collaboration and organizational skills, with a high degree of initiative and leadership ability.
• Experience working with geographically distributed, cross-functional teams in a matrix-based environment.
• Corporate Security Responsibility: All employees at Mastercard are expected to follow the company’s information security policies, data protection standards, and compliance requirements to ensure secure and reliable payment services.
  

Why Join Mastercard as a Lead Software Engineer?

Joining Mastercard as a Lead Software Engineer means working on mission-critical payment systems used by millions of people every day. Unlike many product companies, Mastercard offers engineers real ownership of architecture, scalability, and security decisions.

This role is ideal for professionals who want to move beyond coding and take responsibility for technical leadership, system design, and cross-team collaboration. You’ll be working in a high-impact environment where your decisions directly influence platform stability, performance, and customer trust.

What Makes This Role Different From Other Lead Engineer Jobs?

Many Lead Software Engineer roles are limited to code reviews and task tracking. At Mastercard, this position goes further:

• You influence system-level architectural decisions
• You balance business needs with long-term technical sustainability
• You work closely with product, security, and global engineering teams
• You gain exposure to fintech, payments, and compliance-driven systems

This makes the role especially valuable for engineers aiming for Staff Engineer, Architect, or Engineering Manager paths.

Who Should Apply for This Job?

This role is suitable if you:

• Have 8–12 years of strong backend development experience
• Are confident in Java, Spring Boot, Microservices
• Enjoy mentoring developers and guiding technical decisions
• Have worked in Agile environments and cross-functional teams
• Are interested in the payments or financial technology domain

This role may NOT be suitable if you:

• Are a fresher or early-career developer
• Prefer only individual contributor roles without leadership
• Do not have hands-on Java or backend experience

Interview Process at Mastercard (Expected)

While the exact process may vary, candidates can typically expect:

• Resume Shortlisting – Based on technical depth and leadership experience
• Technical Interview – Java, Spring Boot, Microservices, System Design
• Architecture / Leadership Round – Decision-making, trade-offs, scalability
• Managerial or HR Round – Team fit, communication, career goals
• Preparation in real-world system design and decision reasoning is highly important for this role.

Interview Preparation Tips for Lead Software Engineer

If you are planning to apply, focus on the following areas:

• Designing scalable microservices architectures
• Handling high-availability and fault-tolerant systems
• Java performance optimization and clean code practices
• REST API design and security basics
• Explaining why you chose a design, not just how
• Being able to communicate your thought process clearly is more important than memorizing answers.

About Mastercard:

Mastercard is known for its inclusive work culture, ethical leadership, and long-term career growth. Employees are encouraged to innovate, collaborate, and continuously learn.

The company invests heavily in:

• Employee upskilling and certifications
• Leadership development programs
• Global mobility and exposure
• Work-life balance and flexibility
• For engineers, Mastercard provides a stable yet innovative environment where quality and security matter as much as speed.

How To Apply:

Interested candidates should apply through Mastercard’s official careers portal or authorized hiring platforms.

It is recommended to review the job requirements carefully and ensure your profile matches the experience and skill expectations before applying.

Job Safety & Candidate Notice:

Mastercard does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process.

Candidates are advised to apply only through official channels and ignore any third-party communication asking for payment, registration fees, or personal financial details.

Frequently Asked Questions – Mastercard Lead Software Engineer

2.Is Pune the only work location?

Yes, this role is specifically for Pune, though collaboration with global teams is expected.

3.Is payments domain experience mandatory?

It is not mandatory, but candidates with payments or fintech experience will have an advantage.

4.Does Mastercard support career growth for senior engineers?

Yes, Mastercard offers strong career paths toward Architect, Staff Engineer, and Engineering Leadership roles.

5. Is this role suitable for someone moving into leadership?

Yes, this role is ideal for engineers transitioning from senior IC to technical leadership.