Senior Counsel, Strategic Partnerships (Payments)

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!

At Column, we’re looking for a senior lawyer excited to own strategic partnerships end to end, from the first "we want to build with Column" conversation through drafting, signing, launch, and ongoing expansion. Instead of handing the work off to a relationship manager or a separate product team, you're the through-line. You will architect novel partnership structures that enable modern banking experiences and shape how we build and launch unique products, navigating complex regulatory requirements along the way. You'll work closely with Go-to-Market, Engineering, Finance, Risk and Compliance and have a direct impact on how bespoke financial products are built and delivered at scale. Your unique perspective, drawn from past experience launching payments products, will allow you to navigate complex regulatory environments while maintaining Column’s competitive edge.

This role offers direct access to leadership and the ability to shape Column’s approach to complex partnership agreements, product development and regulatory compliance. You’ll be responsible for driving strategy and execution from start to finish, working closely with our fintech partners on everything from novel products to rapid-fire ideas for new features, delivery channels, product structures and UX changes.

This role reports directly to the Bank’s General Counsel.

• Structure Bank-Fintech Payments Partnerships End-to-End: Lead the legal structuring of 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. Draft and review key customer-facing terms and marketing materials, structure onboarding flows and applications, determine BSA/AML requirements, conduct true lender analyses, and own every legal detail of rolling out a new Column-backed product. Work closely with engineering to design a flow-of-funds model and reflect that product structure in legal documentation.

• Own complex agreements end-to-end: Structure, draft, and negotiate complex customer and third-party partnership agreements covering a broad range of banking products and services.

• Drive Product Strategy & Innovation: Be the strategic legal voice enabling product innovation across our credit and lending 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 credit product structuring, and the legal implications of new lending features and partnership models.

• 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 a go-to authority on legal and regulatory requirements impacting payments products. Share insights on regulatory developments and their practical implications. Help establish Column as a thought leader in banking infrastructure.

• 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. Develop template loan program agreements, disclosure packages, and servicing frameworks that accelerate new partnership launches.

• Currently licensed in a U.S. state, J.D. or equivalent, with 7–15+ 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.

• Ability to independently draft and negotiate complex commercial agreements, with a strong understanding of both contract law and commercial transactions

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

• Deep working knowledge of 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 structuring agreements and advising on payment processing agreements, funds-flow structures, settlement mechanics, and chargeback/dispute frameworks.

• Proven ability to manage a high volume, cross-functional workload without sacrificing quality or speed

• A strong desire to work at the center of fintech/bank innovation, coupled with comfort and experience making fast, sound, and supported risk decisions, especially where the legal landscape isn’t black and white.

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

The annual base salary range for this position is $210,000 - $300,000 + equity.

• 🏥 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 $20,000 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

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 [email protected].

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