Payments Regulatory Counsel

About Block

Block is one company built from many blocks, all united by the same purpose of economic empowerment. The blocks that form our foundational teams — People, Finance, Counsel, Hardware, Information Security, Platform Infrastructure Engineering, and more — provide support and guidance at the corporate level. They work across business groups and around the globe, spanning time zones and disciplines to develop inclusive People policies, forecast finances, give legal counsel, safeguard systems, nurture new initiatives, and more. Every challenge creates possibilities, and we need different perspectives to see them all. Bring yours to Block.

Block, Inc. builds technology to increase access to the global economy. Each of our brands unlocks different aspects of the economy for more people, including Square, Cash App, Afterpay, TIDAL, Bitkey, and Proto. Together, we’re helping build a financial system that is open to everyone.

The Role of Payments Regulatory Counsel

We are seeking an experienced U.S. Payments Regulatory Counsel who is excited to help shape the future of money. As part of our Counsel team, you'll be at the center of cutting-edge developments in payments and financial technology. You'll partner with Compliance, Policy, Risk, Product/Product Counsel, and Engineering to solve regulatory challenges creatively—making sure innovation and compliance go hand in hand.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal and regulatory advice on payments and financial-services products and features, including merchant payments and money transmission services such as stored valued and peer-to-peer transfers.
• Interpret and apply U.S. regulatory regimes and frameworks relevant to payments, such as:
  • Money-transmission / MSB licensing; state and federal oversight
  • Card-network rules and acquirer/issuer relationships
  • NACHA / ACH rules (same-day, push payments, RTP, etc.)
  • Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), AML/KYC, OFAC / sanctions compliance
  • Consumer-payments regulation (e.g., EFTA/Reg E, UDAAP/UDAP)
  • Funds-settlement, interchange, digital wallets, payout services
• Collaborate with government-relations / public-policy teams to review proposed state and federal legislation/regulation, provide internal commentary, draft comment letters, and engage with industry bodies and trade associations.
• Support product teams and product counsel on how to launch and scale offerings in a compliant and innovative way.

Qualifications

• JD degree and membership in good standing with at least one state bar.
• 5+ years of experience advising on financial regulatory matters; in-house payments experience preferred.
• Deep knowledge of payments laws, including money transmission regulations, with a working knowledge of the Bank Secrecy Act.
• Comfort working at the intersection of law/regulation, product, and technology.
• A business-minded lawyer who can spot risk but also propose solutions.
• Clear communicator who can explain both complex regulatory requirements and expectations to business partners and engineers, as well as Block’s products to regulators and auditors.

Key skills/competency

• Payments Regulation
• Financial Services Law
• Money Transmission
• BSA/AML Compliance
• Regulatory Interpretation
• Fintech Innovation
• Legal Counsel
• Risk Management
• Policy Advocacy
• Product Integration