Sr Legal Counsel

PayPal; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 169,000 - 251,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model (3 days in office, 2

Healthcare coverage

Equity and annual bonus potential

Job summary

PayPal, Inc. is seeking a senior in-house attorney to provide pragmatic legal advice, manage regulatory risk, and support business strategies across PayPal and Venmo products. The role emphasizes collaboration with Product, Compliance, and Finance, including BNPL-related initiatives.

A hybrid work model is offered, with opportunities for growth, leadership, and impact on consumer finance regulations. The position requires a JD and at least 8 years of relevant experience, preferably in fintech or

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant legal experience and a Juris Doctorate or equivalent.
• Experience in-house at fintech or consumer credit is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of consumer finance laws (TILA/Reg.Z, ECOA/Reg.B, FCRA/Reg.V) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide clear, pragmatic legal advice to enable business strategy while managing risk.
• Participate in complex problem resolution and high-stakes disputes.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to deliver effective legal services.
• Develop risk management frameworks and escalate issues to senior leadership.

Skills

Legal advisory

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Risk management

Education

Juris Doctorate

Job description

The Company

PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy.

We operate a global, two-sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third-party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers.

We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards. Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end-to-end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross-border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross-border trade.

Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day. We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.

Job Summary

This job participates in complex problem resolution and leads complex projects of diverse scope requiring an understanding of current business trends. They determine methods and procedures for new or special assignments, and their initiatives often result in global process improvements.

Job Description

Essential Responsibilities:

• Provide clear, pragmatic, and solution-oriented legal advice to enable business strategy while managing legal risk.
• Participate in complex problem resolution, providing expert legal advice on high-stakes issues and disputes.
• Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
• Partner with business counterparts across the enterprise to help drive the delivery of effective legal services.
• Manage legal risks and safeguard PayPal's legal interests, developing comprehensive risk management frameworks.
• Escalate complex issues to senior legal leadership where appropriate.

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years relevant experience and a Juris doctorate degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.

Additional Responsibilities

• Serve as product and regulatory counsel for new and existing PayPal and Venmo consumer credit products, including BNPL and other emerging credit offerings, both closed and open-end, partnering with Product, Credit Risk, Compliance, Marketing, and Finance from concept through launch and ongoing operation, to include complaints and issue management.
• Advise on product design, disclosures, underwriting and adverse action, servicing, collections, marketing, and customer communications to ensure compliance with federal and state consumer credit laws, including TILA/Reg.Z, ECOA/Reg.B, FCRA/Reg.V, EFTA/Reg.E, UDAAP, GLBA, SCRA/MLA, TCPA, and state lending, licensing, and other emerging product-specific laws.
• Support BNPL expansion through new merchant integrations, platform partnerships, and agentic commerce, including review of sales materials and related commercial and program agreements.
• Support government relations and policy efforts by analyzing newly enacted and proposed laws and regulations, assessing their impact on PayPal and Venmo products, and helping to prepare comment letters, legislative advocacy, and implementation plans.
• Support regulatory exams, inquiries, and audits by federal and state regulators (e.g., CFPB, FTC, and state agencies), and help manage outside counsel.
• Monitor and communicate emerging legal and regulatory developments in consumer credit and fintech, and develop practical guidance, templates, and training for business partners.
• Identify opportunities to use AI-enabled tools to improve legal workflows and speed reviews.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as in-house counsel at a fintech, bank, or lender, or at a law firm with a consumer financial services regulatory practice, advising on consumer credit products from design through launch.
• Deep working knowledge of TILA/Reg.Z, FCRA/Reg.V, ECOA/Reg.B, and UDAAP, and state law equivalents, with direct experience in BNPL, installment lending, or other short-term and small-dollar credit products.
• Substantial FCRA expertise, particularly in credit reporting, furnishing, or consumer report use cases.
• Familiarity with state consumer lending and licensing regimes and the evolving state BNPL legislative and regulatory landscape, as well as landscapes governing other emerging consumer credit products; experience with legislative or regulatory advocacy is a plus.
• Experience supporting bank partnership or program-manager models and with regulatory exams and agency engagement (CFPB, FTC, state regulators).
• Experience with commercial partnership and technology agreements, and an interest in emerging areas such as agentic commerce.
• Strong business judgment, with the ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical advice for senior business leaders and to balance risk with opportunity.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable managing multiple high-priority projects in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• Collaborative, proactive, and curious, with high standards of integrity and discretion.

Salary and Locations

The base pay for this role will depend on where you work and the relevant experience and expertise you bring. The expected range of pay for this role by location is:

• Washington DC, District of Columbia: ($169,000.00 - $250,800.00 Annually)

Additional Locations:

• Chicago, Illinois: ($160,500.00 - $238,700.00 Annually)
• Austin, Texas: ($160,500.00 - $238,700.00 Annually)
• Scottsdale, Arizona: ($152,500.00 - $226,600.00 Annually)
• Omaha, Nebraska: ($152,500.00 - $226,600.00 Annually)

Additional compensation for this role may include an annual performance bonus, equity, or other incentive compensation, as applicable.

For the majority of employees, PayPal’s balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.

Our Benefits

At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset-you. That’s why we offer comprehensive, choice-based programs, to support all aspects of personal wellbeing—physical, emotional, and financial—delivering meaningful value where it matters most. We strive to create a flexible, balanced work culture with a holistic approach to benefits, including generous paid time off, healthcare coverage for you and your family, and resources to create financial security and support your mental health.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at [e-mail].

Belonging at PayPal

Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.

We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates.