Payments and Banking Commercial Counsel

Since we opened our doors in 2009, the world of commerce has evolved immensely, and so has Square. After enabling anyone to take payments and never miss a sale, we saw sellers stymied by disparate, outmoded products and tools that wouldn’t work together.
So we expanded into software and started building integrated, omnichannel solutions – to help sellers sell online, manage inventory, offer buy now, pay later functionality, book appointments, engage loyal buyers, and hire and pay staff. Across it all, we’ve embedded financial services tools at the point of sale, so merchants can access a business loan and manage their cash flow in one place. Afterpay furthers our goal to provide omnichannel tools that unlock meaningful value and growth, enabling sellers to capture the next generation shopper, increase order sizes, and compete at a larger scale.
Today, we are a partner to sellers of all sizes – large, enterprise-scale businesses with complex operations, sellers just starting, as well as merchants who began selling with Square and have grown larger over time. As our sellers grow, so do our solutions. There is a massive opportunity in front of us. We’re building a significant, meaningful, and lasting business, and we are helping sellers worldwide do the same.

The Role

As the payments and banking commercial counsel, you will help provide commercial legal support to our Afterpay, Cash App, Square, and Tidal teams. You will review, draft, and negotiate complex agreements with different payments and banking partners including, payment networks, financial institutions, payment aggregators, and cryptocurrency partners. Additionally, you will collaborate with team members and cross-functional partners to ensure compliance with our commercial and regulatory obligations. We are specifically seeking someone with transactional experience in issuing, acquiring, or with payment networks. Familiarity with cryptocurrency is a plus. This is an individual contributor role and will report to the Head of Payments and Banking Commercial Counsel.

You Will

• Draft and negotiate complex payments, banking, and other commercial agreements.
• Partner with Regulatory and Product Counsels to ensure compliance with our commercial obligations.
• Provide concise legal advice with a focus on a principled risk approach.
• Resolve issues that arise in existing commercial relationships.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to assess legal risks and develop strategies to mitigate risks while supporting business growth and new ideas.
• Stay abreast of regulatory developments and industry trends affecting payments and banking, and advise relevant stakeholders on compliance requirements and best practices.
• Use AI in daily work to streamline processes and create efficiencies.
• Help maintain commercial payments templates, playbooks, and processes.

You Have

• at least 5-7 years of relevant experience, with a focus on commercial transactions in payments, banking, or financial services.
• Prior experience working with payment networks, issuers, acquirers, or payment facilitators.
• Knowledge of financial services and payments compliance requirements, including issuing, acquiring, networks, partnerships, data security, and privacy within the payments industry.
• Experience drafting and negotiating complex contracts.
• Demonstrated background in communication and coordination of complex issues and projects with diverse levels of management and employees.
• A passion for the payments industry.
• Team-oriented and collaborative approach, leaving ego at the door.
• A J.D. with an active membership in at least one state bar.

Even Better:

• In-house experience at a Fintech or financial services company.
• Familiarity with the electronic financial services sector, including knowledge of merchant processing arrangements, buy-now-pay-later models, networks, payment association rules, banking and credit laws, and financial privacy regulations.
• Familiarity with cryptocurrency, including ability to draft and negotiate agreements in this space.
• Ability to create AI tools that can be used by the team and other cross-functional partners.

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