Counsel, Product & Regulatory - Payments & AML

Overview

This role involves providing legal counsel on payments and anti-money laundering (AML) regulatory matters within a fast-growing fintech organization that is expanding its product offerings and working towards becoming a nationally chartered bank. The position requires collaboration across multiple teams including Product, Compliance, Risk, Engineering, Operations, Partnerships, and Legal to support payment products, financial crimes compliance, and regulatory frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Advise on payments products and infrastructure, supporting initiatives related to payment rails, product launches, operational incidents, partner relationships, and customer experiences.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Compliance, Risk, Engineering, Operations, Partnerships, and Legal teams to provide early legal input and practical guidance.
• Support the launch of new payment capabilities, including emerging products like Zelle, from initial exploration through launch.
• Work closely with AML Advisory, Sanctions, Compliance, and Risk teams on financial crimes compliance matters, interpreting requirements and developing practical guidance.
• Develop scalable legal frameworks and guidance to improve consistency and decision-making across the organization.
• Utilize AI tools to enhance legal workflow efficiency and contribute to building a smarter legal team.
• Stay informed and adaptable to evolving regulatory and product landscapes, including new payment rails and shifting regulatory expectations.

Requirements

• Minimum of 4 years of legal experience.
• Active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Experience supporting fintechs, banks, payment companies, sponsor-bank programs, payment networks, BaaS providers, or regulators with significant payments or AML exposure.
• Strong knowledge of payments-related regulatory frameworks and interest in emerging areas such as stablecoins.
• Familiarity with Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), AML, and sanctions requirements.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to tailor messaging to different audiences.
• Strong judgment and comfort operating in ambiguous environments.
• Proactive ownership mindset with a willingness to research and find answers independently.
• Genuine curiosity about financial products, infrastructure, and regulatory developments.
• Working knowledge of AI applications in legal roles or financial services and interest in leveraging AI for efficiency.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to provide legal advice that balances regulatory compliance with scalable, customer-focused product design.
• Experience working in fast-paced environments where ambiguity is treated as an opportunity.
• Willingness to engage in non-traditional legal tasks such as project scoping, product design review, operational issue navigation, and process building.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary and equity (stock options) package.
• Salary ranges for U.S. employees:
  • New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, or San Francisco Bay Area: $186,400 - $209,700
  • Other U.S. locations: $167,800 - $188,700
• Salary range for Canadian employees (any location): $176,100 - $198,200 CAD
• Benefits package included.

Location

• Open to candidates in the United States and Canada.

Additional Information

• The organization currently operates as a fintech company and is in the process of becoming a nationally chartered bank.
• Banking services are provided through partner banks that are members of the FDIC.
• The employer is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion.
• Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process for applicants with disabilities or special needs.