Payments Counsel

Rain; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited time off

Flexible working

Health, dental, vision

401(k) with 4% match

Equity plan

Job summary

Rain is seeking a Payments Counsel to join the Legal team. You will advise on US and EU payments regulations, draft contracts, and work with Compliance, Risk, Product, and Business Development to ensure regulatory alignment across the business.

The role requires JD with 5–8 years in payments or fintech, strong regulatory knowledge, and excellent communication. Flexibility for remote/hybrid work is available, with opportunities to engage across time zones and jurisdictions.

Qualifications

• JD from a top-tier law program; US-trained preferred.
• 5–8 years of legal experience in payments, fintech, or financial services.
• Strong understanding of US/EU payments regulations incl. MTLs, Durbin, PSD2/PSD3, EMD2, EMI licensing, card rules.
• Experience drafting commercial contracts and advising on regulatory issues for fintech/payments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to translate regulation into business advice.
• Collaborative mindset; able to work across teams and time zones.

Responsibilities

• Advise on US/EU payments regulations and licensing obligations.
• Partner with Compliance and Licensing on applications and ongoing obligations.
• Draft and negotiate cardholder agreements and commercial contracts.
• Coordinate with banks, payment processors, card networks, and vendors.
• Manage relationships with outside counsel on regulatory issues.
• Support regulators in audits, exams, and inquiries.
• Monitor regulatory changes and help shape internal strategy.

Skills

Regulatory compliance

Payments law

Contract drafting

Regulatory analysis

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

JD degree

Tools

Legal research tools

Job description

About the Company

Rain makes the next generation of payments possible across the globe. We’re a lean and mighty team of passionate builders and veteran founders. Our infrastructure makes stablecoins usable in the real-world by powering card transactions, cross-border payments, B2B purchases, remittances, and more. We partner with fintechs, neobanks, and institutions to help them launch solutions that are global, inclusive, and efficient. You will have the opportunity to deliver massive impact at a hypergrowth company that is funded by some of the top investors in fintech, crypto, and SaaS, including Sapphire Ventures, Norwest, Galaxy Ventures, Lightspeed, Khosla, and several more. If you’re curious, bold, and excited to help shape a borderless financial future, we’d love to talk.

Our Ethos

We believe in an open and flat structure. You will be able to grow into the role that most aligns with your goals. Our team members at all levels have the freedom to explore ideas and impact the roadmap and vision of our company.

About the Team

We’re looking for a Payments Counsel to join our growing Legal team. You’ll be a trusted advisor across the business, ensuring our products, licenses, and partnerships are structured and executed in compliance with applicable payments regulations. This is a highly cross‑functional role, working closely with Compliance, Risk, Product, and Business Development.

What you’ll do

• Advise on U.S. and EU payments regulations, including state money transmission laws, federal banking regulations, PSD2/PSD3, EMD2, e‑money licensing, card network rules, and virtual asset frameworks.
• Partner with Compliance and Licensing teams on MTL applications, international licenses, and ongoing obligations.
• Draft card holder agreements across multiple jurisdictions.
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements with banks, payment processors, card networks, and vendors.
• Manage relationships with outside counsel on specialized regulatory or jurisdictional issues.
• Assist with responses to regulators and participate in audits, exams, and inquiries.
• Stay ahead of regulatory changes affecting payments, crypto, and fintech; help shape internal strategy and external engagement.

You are likely to succeed if you have

• A JD from a top-level law program. Preference for US-trained lawyers, but international JDs will be considered.
• At least 5–8 years of legal experience, focused on payments, fintech, financial services regulation, or related areas.
• Strong understanding of US and EU payments regulations, including state MTLs, the Durbin Amendment, Regulation E, PSD2/PSD3, EMD2, EMI licensing, and card network rules.
• Experience advising on commercial contracts and regulatory issues for fintech or payments companies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to translate complex regulation into clear business advice.
• A collaborative, business-oriented mindset; comfortable working across multiple teams and time zones.

Bonus attributes

• Digital assets/crypto regulatory experience (e.g., VASP regimes, MiCA).
• Prior in-house experience at a fintech, payments company, or financial regulator.

Things that enable a fulfilling, healthy and happy experience at Rain

• Unlimited time off. Unlimited vacation can be daunting, so we require Rainmakers to take 10 days minimum for themselves.
• Flexible working. We support a flexible workplace, if you feel comfortable at home please work from home. If you’d like to work with others in an office feel free to come in. We want everyone to be able to work in the environment in which they are their most confident and productive selves. New Rainmakers will have a stipend to create a comfortable atmosphere at home.
• Easy to access benefits. For US Rainmakers, we offer comprehensive health, dental and vision plans for you and your dependents, as well as a 100% company subsidized life insurance plan.
• Retirement goals. Plan for the future with confidence. We offer a 401(k) with a 4% company match.
• Equity plan. We offer every Rainmaker an equity option plan so we can all benefit from our success.
• Health and Wellness. High performance begins from within. Rainmakers receive a monthly stipend to be used for eligible health and wellness spending like gym memberships/fitness classes, massages, acupuncture — whatever recharges you!
• Team summits. Summits play an important role at Rain! Time spent together helps us get to know each other, strengthen our relationships, and build a common destiny. Expect team and company offsites both domestically and internationally.