Senior Product Counsel

About Column

For companies building financial technology and transforming the financial services space, the biggest bottleneck to their growth and innovation is often the underlying banks and infrastructure stack they rely on. We have spent our careers founding and scaling companies like Plaid, Square, Meta, Blend, and Affir…

At Column, we set out to simplify and fix this. We are a bank and a software company built from the ground up, offering builders and developers technology‑forward banking solutions that cut out the hundreds of vendors, middleware providers, and abstraction layers. This means a safer, more transparent, and less costly banking supply chain. Come build with us!

As a Senior Product Counsel supporting Column’s Payments business, you will be responsible for providing strategic counsel for Column’s payments partnerships, working with our fintech partners to launch bank accounts, wallets, card programs, real‑time payments, remittance programs, global money movement products, enhanced deposit insurance, sweep products, and payment processing capabilities. This isn’t a role where you’ll be toiling in obscurity – you’ll be a key strategic partner working directly with Go‑to‑Market, Engineering, Compliance, Risk, and Finance teams to drive product development and expansion.

Your unique perspective, drawn from past experience launching products, will be invaluable as we navigate complex global regulatory environments while maintaining our competitive edge.

Unlike many in‑house counsel positions, this role offers true ownership. You’ll be the key decision‑maker on product legal strategy, with direct access to leadership and the ability to shape Column’s approach to regulatory compliance and product development. Each fintech partnership is an opportunity to design new banking products, and you’ll not only have a seat at the table; you’ll be responsible for driving strategy and execution from start to finish.

In connection with these launches, you will work closely with fintech partners, making this a hands‑on and customer‑facing role. You’ll collaborate with our partners to navigate card network rules, NACHA guidelines, global licensing regimes, and funds‑flow requirements to build compliant, scalable payment solutions on Column’s platform. When our fintech partners approach us with rapid‑fire ideas for new features, delivery channels, product structures, and UX changes, you will be the one to work closely with them to chart a path to launch.

You will move fast, with bank‑grade rigor and fintech‑level speed.

This role reports directly to the Bank’s General Counsel.

• Drive Product Strategy & Innovation: Be the strategic legal voice enabling product innovation across our payments portfolio. Partner closely with business teams and fintech partners from ideation through launch, anticipating challenges and architecting creative solutions that balance business needs with regulatory requirements. Advise on the legal and operational implications of new payment rails, transaction types, and money‑movement features.

• Own Regulatory Architecture: Build and evolve regulatory frameworks for existing and new products. Leverage your deep expertise in Reg E, NACHA rules, card network rules, money transmission, TISA, Reg CC, UCC Article 4A, and the evolving frameworks for real‑time payments. Partner with compliance and risk teams to develop scalable approaches that protect the business while enabling growth.

• Lead Subject Matter Expertise: Be the go‑to authority on legal and regulatory requirements impacting payments products, including ACH origination and receipt, wire transfers, card issuing and acquiring, card network rules, scheme compliance, payment processor relationships, push‑to‑card, and instant payment capabilities. Share insights on regulatory developments and their practical implications. Help establish Column as a thought leader in banking infrastructure.

• Manage Fraud & BSA/AML Risk Frameworks: Partner with compliance and operations teams on payments‑specific BSA/AML, OFAC, and fraud risk considerations. Advise on transaction monitoring, suspicious activity reporting,…