Product Counsel, Payments

Join the Future of Commerce with Whatnot!

Whatnot is the largest live shopping platform in North America and Europe, redefining e-commerce by blending community, shopping, and entertainment. As a remote co-located team with hubs in the US, UK, Germany, Ireland, Poland, and Australia, we are building the future of online marketplaces. From fashion and beauty to collectibles and live plants, our live auctions offer something for everyone. We are seeking bold, forward-thinking problem solvers to join our rapidly growing team and enable individuals to turn their passion into a business.

About the Role: Product Counsel, Payments

We are looking for an experienced Senior Product Counsel to lead legal support for Whatnot’s payments and financial services initiatives, encompassing both consumer experiences and merchant/acquirer relationships. This role will be a key partner to our Product, Engineering, Business Development, and Risk teams, providing crucial advice on the design, development, and operation of innovative payment systems. You will work on new payment features, financial products, and large-scale partnerships with processors, card networks, and other fintech players.

The ideal candidate possesses deep experience in payments and fintech regulation, a strong transactional background, and a pragmatic, solution-oriented approach. You will help navigate complex regulatory frameworks while fostering speed and innovation within Whatnot.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and practical legal advice to product, engineering, and business teams on the design and rollout of payment products, merchant services, and financial infrastructure.
• Advise on regulatory and compliance requirements, including U.S. and international payment regulations, money transmission, stored value, AML/BSA, consumer protection, and card network rules.
• Draft, negotiate, and manage complex commercial agreements with processors, acquiring banks, payment facilitators, and other financial partners.
• Partner with Compliance, Risk, and Product Operations to develop scalable policies, playbooks, and controls that support compliant and sustainable growth.
• Support expansion of payment products into new jurisdictions, assessing cross-border licensing and regulatory frameworks.
• Collaborate with Business Development on strategic financial partnerships and integrations.
• Stay current on developments in payments, fintech, and digital commerce regulation, and advise leadership on implications for product strategy.
• Help build the infrastructure for a world-class legal function that scales with Whatnot’s growth.

We offer flexibility to work from home or from one of our global office hubs, and we value in-person time for planning, problem-solving, and connection. Team members in this role must live within commuting distance of our New York City, San Francisco, or Los Angeles hubs.

About You

Whatnot thrives on low ego, a growth mindset, and a bias towards action and high impact. As our Product Counsel, Payments, you should have:

• A Juris Doctor (J.D.) and active membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (CA or NY preferred).
• 8+ years of combined experience in a top law firm and/or in-house legal department, including at least 3 years advising on payments, fintech, or financial services matters.
• Deep understanding of payments law and infrastructure, including card network operating rules, money transmission, and merchant acquiring frameworks.
• Proven experience negotiating commercial and technology agreements with financial institutions, processors, or payment partners.
• Strong familiarity with U.S. and international regulatory frameworks, including PSD2, e-money, AML, and consumer finance regulations.
• Ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced, product-driven environment, providing actionable guidance to non-legal stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, drafting, and interpersonal skills, with a bias toward clarity and collaboration.
• A proactive, business-minded approach and comfort with ambiguity.
• A sense of humor and humility—you take your work seriously, but not yourself.

Benefits

• Generous Holiday and Time off Policy
• Health Insurance options including Medical, Dental, Vision
• Work From Home Support & Home office setup allowance
• Monthly allowance for cell phone and internet
• Care benefits
• Monthly allowance for wellness
• Annual allowance towards Childcare
• Lifetime benefit for family planning, such as adoption or fertility expenses
• Retirement; 401k offering for Traditional and Roth accounts in the US (employer match up to 4% of base salary) and Pension plans internationally
• Monthly allowance to dogfood the app (all Whatnauts are expected to use Whatnot as both a buyer and a seller)
• Parental Leave: 16 weeks of paid parental leave + one month gradual return to work

Whatnot is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, parental status, disability status, or any other status protected by local law.

Compensation Range: $260,000 - $325,000

Key skills/competency

• Payments Law
• Fintech Regulation
• Commercial Agreements
• Regulatory Compliance
• AML/BSA
• Consumer Protection
• Card Network Rules
• Product Legal Advice
• Cross-border Expansion
• Legal Infrastructure