Senior Counsel – Core Payments (EEMEA)

About the role

Mastercard is looking for an experienced senior lawyer to provide end‑to‑end strategic legal support for its Core Payments business across Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EEMEA). Based in Dubai, you will act as a trusted advisor to regional leadership, shaping product strategy, commercialization and pricing initiatives.

Key responsibilities

• Advise EEMEA Core Payments leadership on business priorities, product development and commercial models.
• Oversee the legal lifecycle of Core Payments products from concept through launch, scaling and eventual discontinuation.
• Lead legal reviews of region‑wide pricing and interchange initiatives, assessing fee structures, bundling, opt‑in/opt‑out mechanisms and customer impact.
• Provide risk‑balanced recommendations to regional and global governance bodies.
• Develop consistent regional legal positions while accommodating market‑specific regulatory requirements.

Required profile

• Qualified lawyer with extensive experience in payments, technology and commercial law.
• Strong executive presence and commercial judgment.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and translate complex legal risks into practical guidance.
• Experience working in a multinational environment, preferably within the financial services or payments sector.

Required skills

• Deep knowledge of payments regulations and industry standards.
• Expertise in product and transactional legal matters.
• Ability to conduct strategic legal risk assessments.