Senior Counsel, Services - Privacy, AI & Data Responsibility

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

Senior Counsel, Services - Privacy, AI & Data ResponsibilityOverview

Mastercard is seeking a Senior Counsel to serve as a dedicated Canadian privacy and data responsibility counsel supporting Mastercard’s products, services, and go-to-market activities in Canada. This role will provide practical, business-oriented legal advice on Canadian privacy, AI, data protection, consumer protection, and related regulatory requirements, with a primary focus on enabling Canadian product launches and supporting remediation of existing products, services, processes, and controls to meet Canadian legal and regulatory expectations.

Role

The Senior Counsel will work closely with product, regional, regulatory, commercial, and global privacy stakeholders to help Mastercard bring innovative products and services to the Canadian market in a responsible, compliant, and scalable way. The role will support the identification, prioritization, and implementation of compliance controls for Canadian requirements. You will:

Serve as the Canadian Data Protection Officer for our Services business

Act as the lead legal advisor on Canadian privacy, AI, data protection, consumer protection, and related regulatory matters.

Provide practical legal guidance to product, business, and legal teams on Canadian go-to-market readiness, including product design, data use, transparency, consent, data sharing, automated decision-making, cross-border transfers, customer disclosures, and operational controls.

Advise on Canadian federal and provincial privacy frameworks to ensure compliance with applicable privacy and data protection laws.

Partner with product privacy counsel to localize global products and services for the Canadian market, identifying where Canadian legal requirements require changes to product design, launch strategy, customer commitments, documentation, or controls.

Review privacy and data protection impact assessments, transfer assessments, product risk assessments, external disclosures, customer communications, marketing materials, and public representations for Canadian legal and regulatory alignment.

Support Canadian regulatory readiness, including helping teams prepare for inquiries, consultations, regulatory submissions, customer escalations, and market-specific questions.

Develop contract structures, templates, and playbooks that address privacy and data protection requirements and lead the review and negotiation of applicable privacy and data protection language in agreements with affiliates, vendors, and customers.

Monitor and interpret U.S. and Canadian regulatory and legislative developments relating to privacy, AI, data protection, consumer protection, digital regulation, product governance, and data use, and translate those developments into practical guidance for business and legal stakeholders.

Increase awareness among business clients and global privacy and legal teams regarding privacy, data protection, and regulatory developments pertaining to Mastercard through training and other initiatives.

Coordinate with U.S., regional, and global privacy stakeholders to drive consistency where appropriate, while clearly identifying Canadian market-specific requirements and remediation priorities.

All About You

Canadian law degree required.

Membership in good standing with a Canadian provincial bar. Any additional qualifications (Master of Laws degree, IAPP Certifications, French fluency) considered an asset.

A minimum of eight years post qualification experience, preferably advising on technology, payments, fintech, fraud prevention, identity, analytics, digital services, or data-enabled products.

Deep knowledge of Canadian privacy and data protection laws, including PIPEDA, Quebec Law 25 and other provincial privacy frameworks, Canadian consumer protection principles, and emerging AI and digital regulation.

Familiarity with U.S., EU, and global privacy frameworks, including GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and other major privacy and AI governance regimes, with the ability to identify where Canadian requirements differ.

Experience advising product teams on go-to-market strategy, product design, data use, privacy-by-design, transparency, consent, automated decision-making, data sharing, and cross-border transfers.

Experience designing and implementing compliance controls, assessing regulatory readiness, and completing risk and impact assessments.

Experience engaging with regulators, supervisory authorities, government agencies, or policy stakeholders.

Strong drafting, analytical, communication, and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to translate complex legal requirements into practical business guidance.

Proven ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and influence cross-functional teams in a fast-moving, technology-driven business.

Hybrid position with an expectation to be in office on an average 3 days per week.Mastercard is a merit-based, inclusive, equal opportunity employer that considers applicants without regard to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disabled or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We hire the most qualified candidate for the role. In the US or Canada, if you require accommodations or assistance to complete the online application process or during the recruitment process, please contact [email protected] and identify the type of accommodation or assistance you are requesting. Do not include any medical or health information in this email. The Reasonable Accommodations team will respond to your email promptly.

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.

In line with Mastercard’s total compensation philosophy and assuming that the job will be performed in Canada, the successful candidate will be offered a competitive pay based on location, experience and other qualifications for the role and may be eligible to participate in a discretionary annual incentive program. This posting reflects one or more current openings on our team.

Pay Ranges

Toronto, Canada: $150,000 - $234,000 CAD