Lead Data Engineer

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 Lead Data Engineer Position Overview Have you ever wanted to be part of something BIG? Now is the time to make an immediate impact at a leading global technology company, Mastercard. This role is part of the AI&DPE Data Engineering platform team, responsible for building and evolving large scale backend data systems, real time and batch pipelines, and AI enabled services that power analytics, decisioning, and automation across the organization. This is a backend engineering role, focused on Scala/Python/Java, distributed data platforms (Cloudera/Spark), and cloud based architectures, with a strong emphasis on AI agent creation and intelligent automation. Visualization tools (e.g., Qlik) are consumers of the platform, not the core focus of this role. You will work with massive transactional datasets, modern big data and cloud platforms, and AI driven workflows to transform how Mastercard processes, enriches, and operationalizes data at global scale. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES Backend & Data Platform Engineering Design, develop, and maintain backend services and data pipelines using Scala, Python and Java Build and optimize batch and streaming workloads on Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) using Spark Work with Cloudera Manager to support platform configuration, monitoring, performance tuning, and operational stability Design and implement high quality datamarts and curated datasets with strong emphasis on data integrity, performance, and reliability AI Agents & Intelligent Automation Design, build, and integrate AI powered agents that operate to support: Anomaly detection and operational intelligence workflow automation Apply generative AI driven, or rule based agents to reduce manual effort and improve scalability across backend systems Cloud & Modern Data Architecture Build and support data and compute workloads in AWS environments Leverage Databricks for large scale data processing, advanced analytics Contribute to cloud native and hybrid architectures integrating on prem and cloud platforms Integration & Downstream Enablement Enable downstream consumers (analytics, visualization, reporting tools such as Qlik) through well designed, reliable backend data interfaces Partner with analytics, fraud, and business teams to ensure backend systems meet evolving needs without compromising platform stability Documentation & Collaboration Create clear technical documentation, including architecture diagrams, data flows, and design specifications Participate in Agile/Scrum ceremonies and cross functional design reviews Mentor and upskill team members in backend engineering, big data, and AI agent concepts KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS Required BS/BA degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field Strong handson experience with Scala,Python/Java in backend or data intensive systems Experience working with Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) and Spark Familiarity with Cloudera Manager for cluster administration, monitoring, or troubleshooting Strong understanding of data modeling concepts, distributed systems, and large scale data processing Excellent problem solving skills and ability to work independently in complex environments GOOD TO HAVE / STRONGLY PREFERRED Hands on experience bui