Product Innovation Manager: Product Strategist / Facilitator

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

Product Innovation Manager: Product Strategist / Facilitator

Overview Product Innovation Manager: Product Strategist / Facilitator Team Purpose

• Mastercard Digital Labs Is a leading-edge global innovation practice, delivering a range of innovation programs which incorporate the best in design thinking, Ai and agile development processes

• Digital Labs supports our customers and partners with Innovation and R&D consultation - delivering customized innovation programs, products and support - tailored to meet client-specific business challenges.

Role Description and Major Responsibilities

[Facilitator] - 30%

• This role within Digital Labs act as a lead sprint master for facilitating all product development engagements on behalf of customers and internal stakeholders alike.

• This role is a key customer focused role for Digital Labs which requires a confident, experienced facilitator with a deep understanding and experience in core disciplines of – ideation methodologies, rapid prototyping, design sprints and agile product management.

• Embody the role of an engagement lead for a portfolio of initiatives, and supporting lead-in activities in preparation for sprint events I.e. creation/review of client innovation briefs, set-up for face-to-face as well as virtual events and etc.

[Product Development/Strategist] - 30%

• Develop & mature existing Digital Labs service offerings, which includes product development sprints; customer testing; tech-build; thought leadership events; and pilot.

• Drive co-creation of design with our partners in financial services, tech, airlines, retail & commerce and other industry verticals.

• Proactively advise and position our partners to take advantage of market catalysts including disruptive new technologies such as Open Banking, Crypto, VR and AR to drive new products such as decentralised finance and evolving new capabilities within mobile handsets on both iOS and Android platforms.

• Explore and support development of Mastercard Labs’ relationships with external parties such as other innovation entities, Labs organizations, and colleges/universities.

[Stakeholder Management/Business Operation] - 40%

• This person will be a lead advocate for innovation within the Mastercard, serving as one of the faces of Mastercard Labs externally in Japan, Korea & AP.

• Evangelisation of Digital Labs products/services to support business development opportunities and ensure shared revenue objectives are achieved.

• Offer leadership to a diverse team of UX designers, video content creator, developers and stakeholders to build moral, and create cohesion in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

Questions to consider:

• Are you passionate about product innovation and want to work with some of the world’s biggest brands to create innovative product prototypes & run programs to improve their innovation culture and methodologies?

• Do you have a passion for AI, Agentic Commerce, technology innovation, agile prototype development and new product design?

• Does playing a key playmaker role in supporting teams who are innovating and developing leading edge technology solutions excite you?

• Have you the capability to think on your feet, be hugely creative, cajole, encourage and negotiate all at the same time?

• Your strong points:

  • High level of empathy (park your ego at the door and step in your customer’s shoes).
  • Structured and consultative approach to problem solving.
  • You listen (actively!) more than you talk. Summarize, structure the conversation and show a way forward.
  • Ability to inspire and energize a group of diverse people.
  • Demonstrate confidence also when the situation gets increasingly ambiguous.
  • Interest and flair for business development with demonstrated results.

All About You Knowledge / Experience Preferred

• Demonstrated experience in product innovation and consulting.

• Be interested in the product development process especially agile & design thinking methodologies.

• Experience working in multi-disciplinary groups through such activities as strategic planning, journey mapping, issue resolution, brainstorming and requirements gathering/definition.

• High energy, can-do attitude, very strong sense of ownership and desire to succeed with commensurate analytical and strategic skills.

• Strong presentation skills—must have persuasive “presence” and ability to effectively communicate technology to business people and business to technology people.

• Understanding / experience of innovation frameworks and practical technology application experience.

• Startup and/or consulting experience is preferred.

• Payments technology knowledge or experience in the industry would be a huge advantage.

Skills / Abilities (Desired)

• Organized, with an ability to provide expert facilitation skills in environments where the team agenda is not clear and the obvious solutions are not always the most appropriate.

• Leadership skills—must be able to influence others and navigate complex relationship scenarios & must be able to influence others without direct reporting relationships.

• Will value and promote having strong processes as a way of achieving consistent, high quality, repeatable results.

• Experience in management consultancy, product owner or scrum-master roles would be relevant.

• Ability to act effectively as a brand ambassador.

• Excellent verbal and written skills.

• Korean and Japanese fluency highly desirable.

• Willingness to travel.

• Work Location – Tokyo

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.