Lead Software Engineer - C/C++, Unix/Linux, ARQC, ARPC, HSM

Role Overview: We are seeking a Lead Software Engineer with strong expertise in C/C++ and Unix/Linux systems to design, develop, and lead high-performance, scalable, and secure enterprise applications. The role requires hands-on technical leadership, architecture ownership, and cross-team collaboration to deliver mission-critical systems. Lead engineers are expected to own complex problems, drive architectural decisions, and mentor engineering teams, while ensuring high-quality software delivery. Key RESPONSIBILITIES: Technical Leadership & Architecture · Design and develop high-performance, low-latency systems using C/C++ on Unix/Linux platforms · Own end-to-end architecture for components and services, ensuring scalability and resiliency · Introduce and adopt modern design patterns, frameworks, and best practices · Provide technical direction and guidance to engineering teams. Development & Delivery · Lead design, development, testing, and deployment activities · Write efficient, maintainable, and secure C/C++ code adhering to coding standards. · Drive automation of builds, testing, and deployment pipelines · Troubleshoot complex production issues and ensure system stability System Design & Performance · Architect systems for high throughput, fault tolerance, and performance optimization · Perform performance tuning, memory optimization, and multithreading enhancements · Ensure system reliability and availability (high uptime expectations) Collaboration & Stakeholder Management · Work closely with product, QA, and operations teams to prioritize and deliver solutions · Drive design discussions, trade-offs, and cross-functional decisions · Coordinate across geographically distributed teams Mentorship & Engineering Excellence · Mentor developers and promote best practices (code reviews, TDD, secure coding). · Conduct technical interviews and help build high-performing teams · Lead post-incident reviews and drive continuous improvement initiatives Required Technical Skills: · Strong experience of Cryptography in Payment cycle. · Strong experience of Session Key Derivation and validation. · Strong experience of Triple DES and Advanced Encryption Standard techniques. · Strong understanding of Thales or equivalent Payment Validation HSM modules and its commands. · Strong programming expertise in C and C++. · Deep understanding of Unix/Linux systems, shell scripting, and system internals · Strong understanding multi threading in C and Linux · Experience with Multithreading and concurrency, Memory management and performance tuning, Socket programming / IPC mechanisms · Knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and design patterns · Familiarity with build tools (Make/CMake), debugging tools (gdb), gtest, and profiling tools. · Strong experience of Github and Github Copilot. · Strong experience of using Copilot with MCP servers. All About you: · Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience) · Experience with Agile methodologies, strong understanding of Dev Ops practices and CI/CD pipelines · Experience writing unit, integration, and system tests · Experience designing distributed systems or high-scale enterprise applications · Exposure to security standards (OWASP, secure coding practices). · Experience in payment systems / transaction processing / financial domain · Exposure to cloud-native or hybrid systems · Knowledge of additional languages (Java/Python) is a plus · Strong problem-solving and analytical skills · Ability to drive decisions and manage technical trade-offs · Excellent communication and stakeholder management Ownership mindset and ability to lead under ambiguity 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. Everyone wants easier ways to pay; we invent them. Checkout lines are slow; we speed them along. Merchants want more sales; we give them data and insights. People need financial access; we connect them. Corporate purchasing is complicated; we make it simple. Commuters are busy; we speed them on their way. Governments need greater efficiencies; we help create them. Small businesses are virtual; we give them access to a world of buyers. Retailers want to fight fraud; we provide the tools.