Director, Legal Counsel - BCDC

PayPal is seeking an experienced and dynamic Director, Legal Counsel for its Blockchain, Crypto, and Digital Currencies (BCDC) team. This role involves providing strategic legal advice to senior management, anticipating and managing regulatory and legal risks, and ensuring compliance with relevant laws. The counsel will support the design, development, and launch of BCDC products, advise on commercial transactions, and coordinate with international legal colleagues. The position requires expertise in financial technology, payment systems, and digital assets, contributing to PayPal's mission of driving inclusion in the global economy.

Must Have

• Provide strategic legal advice and support to senior management
• Anticipate regulatory and legal risks and design strategies to manage them
• Perform legal and regulatory compliance risk assessments
• Manage escalations and collaborate across other teams
• Develop a strong rapport and working relationship with business counterparts
• Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations
• Manage legal risks and safeguard PayPal's legal interests
• Provide key inputs as an industry leader and expert
• Provide legal guidance for BCDC product design, development and launch
• Advise on legal implications of BCDC commercial transactions, new products, customer terms, vendor engagements, and marketing materials
• Develop BCDC-related policies, training, and toolkits
• Address threshold regulatory questions regarding BCDC initiatives
• Stay apprised of legal and regulatory developments impacting BCDC
• Coordinate with international legal colleagues in support of BCDC initiatives
• Assist the Government Relations team in evaluating and responding to rulemaking notices
• Represent PayPal’s interests and interface with regulatory agencies, enforcement authorities, and external counsel

Good to Have

• Understanding of the technological variants of digital asset ecosystems and frameworks
• Familiarity with PayPal, Venmo, mobile and alternative payments, emerging payments technology, and the payments industry
• Experience with international remittances

Perks & Benefits

• Flexible work environment
• Employee shares options
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Medical, dental, vision, and other benefits

The Company

PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy.

We operate a global, two-sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third-party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers.

We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards. Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end-to-end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross-border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross-border trade.

Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day. We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.

Job Summary:

PayPal’s Legal team is looking for an experienced, highly engaged and dynamic lawyer to serve as Director, Legal Counsel - Blockchain, Crypto and Digital Currencies (BCDC).

Job Description:

Essential Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic legal advice and support to senior management, influencing business strategy an decision making.
• Anticipate regulatory and legal risks, and proactively design strategies to manage them.
• Perform legal and regulatory compliance risk assessments, propose creative solutions where applicable, and help advance business objectives.
• Manage escalations, collaborate across other teams and develop solutions to enable business partners to achieve their goals.
• Develop a strong rapport and working relationship with business counterparts across the enterprise to help drive the delivery of effective legal services.
• Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations, leading the adoption of cutting-edge legal technologies and best practices.
• Manage legal risks and safeguard PayPal's legal interests, developing forward-looking risk management strategies.
• Provide key inputs as an industry leader and expert, staying ahead of legal trends and influencing industry standards.

Expected Qualifications:

• 10+ years relevant experience and a Juris doctorate degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.

Additional Responsibilities & Preferred Qualifications:

Job Description

The BCDC business unit is a cross-functional team of high performers, serial entrepreneurs, and crypto thought leaders that are focused on driving inclusion and access to the next generation of financial services and playing a meaningful role in the development and adoption of the digital asset ecosystem globally. The Director, Legal Counsel – BCDC will play a key role in helping BCDC in its mission.

Responsibilities:

Provide legal guidance and support in connection with the design, development and launch of BCDC products, features, and services. This will include proactively:

• Advising on the legal implications of potential BCDC commercial transactions, new products and experiences, customer terms and conditions, vendor engagements, and marketing materials;
• Developing BCDC-related policies, training, and toolkits;
• Addressing threshold regulatory questions regarding BCDC initiatives, including applicability of federal securities laws, commodities laws, laws regarding illicit finance, and applicable state level regulations;
• Staying apprised of legal and regulatory developments with the potential to impact BCDC and keeping BCDC team members informed of same;
• Coordinating with international legal colleagues in support of BCDC initiatives outside of the United States;
• Assisting the Government Relations team in evaluating and responding to notices of proposed rulemaking and requests for comment issued by regulatory agencies; and
• Representing PayPal’s interests and interfacing with regulatory agencies, enforcement authorities, and external counsel, as appropriate.

Job Requirements and Qualifications

• Professional experienceor equivalent degree with excellent academic credentials.
• Ten or more years of experience practicing as an attorney at a regulatory agency, in-house, or at a reputable law firm, with at least two of those years focused on financial technology, payment systems, digital assets, financial regulation, including securities law, commodities law, banking law, or illicit finance.
• Understanding of the technological variants of digital asset ecosystems and frameworks strongly preferred.
• Team oriented, with a strong sense of humor, unquestioned ethics and integrity, sound judgment, and strong problem-solving and communication skills.
• Familiarity with, and strong interest in, PayPal, Venmo, mobile and alternative payments, emerging payments technology, and the payments industry. Experience with international remittances a plus.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, handle multiple assignments simultaneously, tolerate change and ambiguity, and take ownership of projects and tasks.
• Admitted to, and in good standing with, a state bar.

We're a purpose-driven company whose beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day. We hold ourselves to our One Team Behaviors, which demand that we hold the highest ethical standards, empower an open and diverse workplace, and strive to treat everyone who is touched by our business with dignity and respect. Our employees challenge the status quo, ask questions, and find solutions. We want to break down barriers to financial empowerment. Join us as we change the way the world defines financial freedom.

PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at paypalglobaltalentacquisition@paypal.com.

Subsidiary:

PayPal

Travel Percent:

0

PayPal is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices.

Actual Compensation is based on various factors including but not limited to work location, and relevant skills and experience.

The total compensation for this practice may include an annual performance bonus (or other incentive compensation, as applicable), equity, and medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. For more information, visit https://www.paypalbenefits.com.

The US national annual pay range for this role is $188,000 to $323,950

PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam. To learn more about how to identify and avoid recruitment fraud please visit https://careers.pypl.com/contact-us.

For the majority of employees, PayPal's balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.

Our Benefits:

At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset—you. That’s why we offer benefits to help you thrive in every stage of life. We champion your financial, physical, and mental health by offering valuable benefits and resources to help you care for the whole you.

We have great benefits including a flexible work environment, employee shares options, health and life insurance and more. To learn more about our benefits please visit https://www.paypalbenefits.com.

Who We Are:

Click Here to learn more about our culture and community.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at paypalglobaltalentacquisition@paypal.com.

Belonging at PayPal:

Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please Join our Talent Community.

We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates. Please don’t hesitate to apply.

Notice to Applicants and Employees who reside within New York City. Click here to view the notice.