At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive SME market expansion and accelerate card usage in underpenetrated regions.
- Company: Join Mastercard, a global leader in digital payments and innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career growth, and the chance to make a real impact.
- Other info: Dynamic, cross-functional environment with opportunities for global collaboration.
- Why this job: Be part of a team transforming payment solutions for small businesses worldwide.
- Qualifications: Experience in strategy or commercial roles, with strong analytical skills.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
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
- Manager, Global SME Market Expansion
- 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
- Manager, Global SME Market Expansion
- Overview
The SME Global Market Expansion team is a newly established unit within Mastercard's Global SME organization, focused on unlocking incremental SME payment flows in underpenetrated geographies.
The team identifies high-potential markets and drives initiatives to expand card usage, acceptance, and share of wallet among small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
The Manager, SME Global Market Expansion will play a critical role in setting and executing strategies to accelerate the shift from cash, checks, and wire payments to card-based solutions.
This role combines strategy, analytics, and hands-on execution, with clear accountability for commercial outcomes including Gross Dollar Volume (GDV), Net Revenue (NR), and pipeline creation.
- Role
- Define and execute the SME card conversion strategy across prioritized markets, with a focus on displacing cash, checks, and wires
- Own and deliver against commercial targets, including GDV growth, Net Revenue (NR), and qualified pipeline generation
- Identify target SME segments, industries, and use cases with the highest card displacement potential
- Diagnose key blockers to growth and design actionable solutions
- Lead end-to-end execution of growth initiatives: from ideation and business case development to pilot, measurement, and scale
Key Responsibilities
- Strategy Development & Commercial Ownership
- Own market expansion strategies with clear accountability for GDV, NR, and pipeline impact
- Build and maintain robust business cases linking initiatives to measurable financial outcomes
- Prioritize initiatives based on expected ROI, scalability, and market impact
- Execution & Scaling
- Translate strategy into actionable pilots and test-and-learn programs
- Define clear KPIs and success metrics
- Rigorously track performance, extract insights, and scale what works across markets
- Drive execution discipline, ensuring initiatives move quickly from concept to impact
- Market & Customer Insights
- Leverage data, research, and feedback to understand payment behaviors and switching barriers
- Track competitive dynamics, fintech innovation, and alternative payment trends shaping SME behavior in selected regions
- Opportunity Identification
- Identify high-value use cases and spend categories for market expansion
- Define target segments and verticals with the highest growth potential
- Cross-functional Collaboration
- Partner with Finance, Marketing, Regional, and Market teams to shape and execute initiatives
- Align stakeholders around strategic priorities and drive coordinated execution
- Partnership Development
- Identify and evaluate strategic partners to accelerate adoption
- Support partnership strategies that unlock channel distribution or use cases
- Value Proposition & Initiative Design
- Translate insights into differentiated value propositions for SMEs
- Design and prioritize initiatives that drive measurable increases in expansion markets
- All About You
- Experience in strategy consulting, corporate strategy, operations, sales, or commercial roles within payments or financial services industry
- Experience in global or highly matrixed organizations is strongly preferred
- SME-obsessed: Deep understanding of SME needs, behaviors, and pain points
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to link insights to commercial outcomes
- Proven ability to own and deliver against financial targets (GDV, revenue, pipeline)
- Strong execution mindset: experience running pilots, defining KPIs, and scaling successful initiatives
- Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with experience influencing senior stakeholders
- Strong presentation skills, with the ability to distill complex ideas to clear, actionable narratives
- Ownership mindset: Acts like an owner - accountable, proactive, and results-driven
- Bias for action and urgency: Moves quickly from insight to execution and maintains momentum
- Ability to thrive in cross-functional, global environments
Qualifications
- Undergraduate degree required
- MBA or advanced degree preferred
- Corporate Security Responsibility
All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must:
- Abide by Mastercard's security policies and practices;
- Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;
- Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and
- Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard's guidelines.
- #J-18808-Ljbffr
Manager, Global SME Market Expansion in London employer: Mastercard
As a Senior Site Reliability Engineer at Connex, you will be part of a dynamic team dedicated to maintaining the UK's national payment infrastructure, where innovation and collaboration are at the forefront of our work culture. We offer a supportive environment that prioritises continuous improvement and professional growth, alongside competitive benefits and a commitment to work-life balance. Join us in making a meaningful impact in the financial services sector while enjoying the unique advantages of working in a cutting-edge technology space.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Manager, Global SME Market Expansion in London
✨Dive Into Corporate Strategy Communities
Get yourself involved in online communities or forums focused on corporate strategy. Places like LinkedIn groups or specific Slack channels can hook you up with industry insights, trends, and many potential job leads. Don't hesitate to share your thoughts or ask questions; it’ll boost your visibility!
✨Attend Industry Conferences and Events
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✨Apply Directly Through Our Website
Don’t forget to apply for the Manager, Global SME Market Expansion position at Mastercard via our website! This shows your genuine interest, and who knows, you might just land that interview in a matter of days. Keep your application focused on how you can add value to their strategy team.
We think you need these skills to ace Manager, Global SME Market Expansion in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Us Your Strategic Thinking:When crafting your CV and cover letter, highlight your strategic analysis skills. Focus on past experiences where you've effectively assessed market trends or made impactful recommendations. Evidence-based achievements, like improving processes or contributing to significant projects, will help us see your potential for driving corporate strategy at Mastercard.
Tailor Your Narrative:Don’t just send us a generic application! Personalise your cover letter by connecting your experiences and aspirations to Mastercard’s mission and goals. We love seeing candidates who genuinely understand what we do; share how your vision aligns with ours and what you can bring to the table.
Highlight Relevant Academic Credentials:In your CV, make sure to showcase your academic background, especially if you have qualifications in business, economics, or analytics. We appreciate candidates who can back up their skills with relevant degrees or certifications, so don’t be shy about flaunting those achievements!
Utilise Professional Language:While we want you to be yourself, remember that corporate strategy roles demand a level of professionalism in communication. Use clear and concise language in your application materials, ensuring that your ideas come across as well-structured and sophisticated. It’s all about making a great impression right from the written application stage!
How to prepare for a job interview at Mastercard
✨Master the Numbers
Corporate strategy often involves data analysis and financial forecasting. Brush up on your quantitative skills, and be prepared to handle case studies or numerical problems during the interview. We might get questions about how to approach market trends or assess the performance of a hypothetical company — so practice these scenarios!
✨Know Your Frameworks
Familiarity with strategic frameworks like SWOT, PESTLE, or Porter’s Five Forces can set you apart. We should be ready to discuss how we’d apply these tools to real-world business situations — maybe even relating them to Mastercard. This shows we’re not just theory-happy but can articulate our practical application.
✨Engage in Strategic Conversations
In a full-time role like this, it’s crucial to show that we're engaged and informed about current trends in the industry. Keep up with major news and prepare to discuss how recent developments could impact strategic decisions at Mastercard. This will demonstrate our passion and proactive approach to the field.
✨Showcase Relevant Experience
Whether through internships or projects, we should highlight any experience that relates to corporate strategy. Have specific examples ready to talk about how we’ve contributed to strategic growth or improvements. It's about showcasing our unique journey and how it will bring value to Mastercard.
