Senior Product Counsel Payments

About Column

For companies building financial technology and transforming the financial services space the biggest bottleneck to their growth and innovation is often the underlying banks and infrastructure stack they rely on. We have spent our careers founding and scaling companies like Plaid Square Meta Blend and Affirm and have seen this problem firsthand builders and developers needing to partner with traditional banks and creating API and abstraction layers over the patchwork that is the bank its core and many other vendors. All of this results in a complex (and often expensive) banking supply chain involving a user fintech BaaS middleware provider bank core and the Federal Reserve.

At Column we set out to simplify and fix this. We are a bank and a software company built from the ground up offering builders and developers technology-forward banking solutions that cut out the hundreds of vendors middleware providers and abstraction layers. This means a safer more transparent and less costly banking supply chain. Come build with us!

The Opportunity

As a Senior Product Counsel supporting Columns Payments business you will be responsible for providing strategic counsel for Columns payments partnerships working with our fintech partners to launch bank accounts wallets card programs real-time payments remittance programs global money movement products enhanced deposit insurance sweep products and payment processing capabilities. This isnt a role where youll be toiling in obscurity youll be a key strategic partner working directly with Go-to-Market Engineering Compliance Risk and Finance teams to drive product development and expansion. Your unique perspective drawn from past experience launching products will be invaluable as we navigate complex global regulatory environments while maintaining our competitive edge.

Unlike many in-house counsel positions this role offers true ownership. Youll be the key decision-maker on product legal strategy with direct access to leadership and the ability to shape Columns approach to regulatory compliance and product development. Each fintech partnership is an opportunity to design new banking products and youll not only have a seat at the table youll be responsible for driving strategy and execution from start to finish.

In connection with these launches you will work closely with fintech partners making this a hands-on and customer-facing role. Youll collaborate with our partners to navigate card network rules NACHA guidelines global licensing regimes and funds-flow requirements to build compliant scalable payment solutions on Columns platform. When our fintech partners approach us with rapid-fire ideas for new features delivery channels product structures and UX changes you will be the one to work closely with them to chart a path to launch. You will move fast with bank-grade rigor and fintech-level speed.

This role reports directly to the Banks General Counsel.

What Youll Do

• Drive Product Strategy & Innovation: Be the strategic legal voice enabling product innovation across our payments portfolio. Partner closely with business teams and fintech partners from ideation through launch anticipating challenges and architecting creative solutions that balance business needs with regulatory requirements. Advise on the legal and operational implications of new payment rails transaction types and money-movement features.

• Own Regulatory Architecture: Build and evolve regulatory frameworks for existing and new products. Leverage your deep expertise in Reg E NACHA rules card network rules money transmission TISA Reg CC UCC Article 4A and the evolving frameworks for real-time payments. Partner with compliance and risk teams to develop scalable approaches that protect the business while enabling growth.

• Lead Subject Matter Expertise: Be the go-to authority on legal and regulatory requirements impacting payments products including ACH origination and receipt wire transfers card issuing and acquiring card network rules scheme compliance payment processor relationships push-to-card and instant payment capabilities. Share insights on regulatory developments and their practical implications. Help establish Column as a thought leader in banking infrastructure.

• Manage Fraud & BSA/AML Risk Frameworks: Partner with compliance and operations teams on payments-specific BSA/AML OFAC and fraud risk considerations. Advise on transaction monitoring suspicious activity reporting and sanctions screening as they apply to payment flows.

• Leverage Technology & AI: Embrace and drive the adoption of technology including AI and automation tools to increase the efficiency speed and scalability of legal workflows. Identify opportunities to use AI and partner with engineering teams to build legal tooling that gives Column a structural advantage.

• Scale Operations: Design and implement legal processes that can scale with hypergrowth. Improve partner onboarding efficiency while maintaining robust compliance. Build repeatable frameworks that enable the business to move faster.

What Were Looking For

• Currently licensed in a U.S. state J.D. or equivalent with 715 years as a practicing lawyer; priority given to candidates with both law firm experience and in-house experience at a fintech and/or a financial institution.

• Deep expertise counseling product teams on banking infrastructure and embedded finance solutions with particular depth in payments money transmission and money-movement regulatory frameworks.

• Comprehensive knowledge of the regulatory framework governing banking partnerships and fintech services.

• Familiarity with NACHA rules card network operating regulations Regulation E UCC Article 4A BSA/AML requirements and OFAC sanctions frameworks as they apply to payment products.

• Experience advising on payment processing agreements funds-flow structures settlement mechanics and chargeback/dispute frameworks.

• Comfort working at the intersection of law and technology you can read an API spec understand a funds-flow diagram and translate technical architecture into legal risk assessment.

Pay transparency

Compensation packages at Column include base salary equity and benefits. New hire offers are made based on a candidates experience expertise geographic location and internal pay equity relative to peers.

The annual base salary range for this position is $210000 - $300000 equity.

What youll get from us:

• Comprehensive health dental and vision plans including options that are 100% covered by Column for you and 100% covered for your dependents!

• Comprehensive family planning and fertility benefits via partnership with Carrot including reimbursement of up to $20000 in qualified expenses

• FSA and HSA account options to enable use of pre-tax money for medical and dependent care expenses

• 401k plan including self-directed brokerage options

• Flexible time-off policy - take the time off that you want and need to relax and recharge

• 100% paid parental leave including 16 weeks for birth mothers 12 weeks for primary caregivers and 8 weeks for secondary caregivers

• Catered lunches and dinners for SF employees

• Commuter benefits

• Regular team building events including annual offsite

We look forward to hearing from you

Column is committed to working with the best and brightest people from the broadest talent pool possible. We value bringing together a team with different perspectives educational backgrounds and life experiences and believe a diversity of ideas is what allows us to develop the best solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation during the application and recruiting process please reach out to

We participate in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify programhere.

Required Experience:

Senior IC