Senior Public Policy Strategist — Banking & Fintech (Remote)

Remote; San Francisco (CA); Remote; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) retirement benefits

Life insurance

Disability benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

Pathward is a hybrid, remote-office company seeking a Senior Public Policy Associate to support its Public Policy function on issues affecting banking, payments, fintech, and rural development finance sectors. Based in Washington, DC area, the role may include occasional in-person meetings and travel to support state-level advocacy.

The Senior Public Policy Associate will monitor legislation, prepare internal briefings, support stakeholder engagement, manage PAC-related activities, and

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience in public policy, government affairs, legislative affairs, financial services, trade association work, advocacy, consulting, campaigns, legal, regulatory, or a related field.
• Strong interest in federal and state financial services policy, including banking, payments, fintech, digital assets, bank-fintech partnerships, consumer finance, small business finance, rural development.
• Strong writing, research, analytical, and organizational skills, including the ability to explain complex policy issues clearly and manage tracking systems, deadlines, records, follow-up items.
• Professional maturity, discretion, and sound judgment when working on sensitive policy, political, PAC, lobbying, legal, compliance, or business matters.
• Experience on Capitol Hill, with a federal or state regulator or government entity, at a trade association, in a government affairs or lobbying firm, in financial services, or in nonprofit advocacy preferred.

Responsibilities

• Monitor, analyze, and summarize federal and state legislative and regulatory activity relevant to Pathward, including banking, payments, fintech, digital assets, bank-fintech partnerships, small business finance, rural development finance, and other issues affecting Pathward’s businesses.
• Help develop and support Pathward’s state public policy capabilities, including tracking priority state legislative and regulatory developments, identifying emerging risks and opportunities across key jurisdictions, coordinating with state trade associations and external consultants, and supporting state-level advocacy and engagement as appropriate.
• Draft internal memoranda, issue summaries, briefing materials, talking points, leave-behinds, and other written materials that help inform Public Policy strategy, stakeholder engagement, and senior leadership decision-making.
• Support and contribute to policy strategy discussions, including identifying risks, opportunities, stakeholder dynamics, advocacy options, and potential business implications for Pathward.
• Support and participate, as appropriate, in federal and state government, regulatory, trade association, coalition, PAC, and industry engagement, including meeting preparation, background research, agendas, follow-up notes, and related tracking.
• Help administer Pathward’s PAC, including tracking PAC activity and participation, preparing materials, supporting solicitations and events, maintaining records, coordinating with external vendors on filings and compliance-related processes, and supporting execution across Public Policy priorities.
• Maintain systems and processes for tracking policy priorities, stakeholder engagement, lobbying activity, regulatory developments, consultant deliverables, invoices, expenses, reporting obligations, and follow-up items.
• Coordinate with internal partners and external consultants to support issue advocacy, internal reporting, stakeholder engagement, and execution across Public Policy priorities.

Skills

Public policy

Government affairs

Legislative affairs

Policy analysis

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Pathward is a hybrid, remote-office company seeking a Senior Public Policy Associate to support its Public Policy function on issues affecting banking, payments, fintech, and rural development finance sectors. Based in Washington, DC area, the role may include occasional in-person meetings and travel to support state-level advocacy.

The Senior Public Policy Associate will monitor legislation, prepare internal briefings, support stakeholder engagement, manage PAC-related activities, and