Commercial Counsel, Payments and Banking

Block is one company built from many blocks, all united by the same purpose of economic empowerment. The blocks that form our foundational teams - People, Finance, Counsel, Hardware, Information Security, Platform Infrastructure Engineering, and more - provide support and guidance at the corporate level. They work across business groups and around the globe, spanning time zones and disciplines to develop inclusive People policies, forecast finances, give legal counsel, safeguard systems, nurture new initiatives, and more. Every challenge creates possibilities, and we need different perspectives to see them all. Bring yours to Block.
The Role
As the payments and banking commercial counsel, you will help provide commercial legal support to our Afterpay, Cash App, Square, and Tidal teams. You will review, draft, and negotiate complex agreements with different payments and banking partners including, payment networks, financial institutions, payment aggregators, and digital wallet partners. Additionally, you will collaborate with team members and cross-functional partners to ensure compliance with our commercial and regulatory obligations. We are specifically seeking someone with transactional experience in issuing, acquiring, or with payment networks.This is an individual contributor role and will report to the Head of Payments and Banking Commercial Counsel.
You Will

• Draft and negotiate complex payments, banking, and other commercial agreements.
• Provide concise legal advice with a focus on a principled risk approach.
• Resolve issues that arise in existing commercial relationships.
• Partner and collaborate with cross-functional partners to assess legal risks, develop strategies to mitigate risks while supporting business growth and new ideas, and ensure compliance with our commercial obligations.
• Stay abreast of regulatory developments and industry trends affecting payments and banking, and advise relevant stakeholders on compliance requirements and best practices.
• Use AI in daily work to streamline processes and create efficiencies.
• Help maintain commercial payments templates, playbooks, and processes.

You Have

• A J.D. with an active membership in at least one state bar.
• 8+ years of experience, with a focus on commercial transactions in payments, banking, or financial services.
• In-house experience at a Fintech or financial services company.
• Prior experience working with payment networks, issuers, acquirers, or payment facilitators.
• Knowledge of financial services and payments compliance requirements, including issuing, acquiring, networks, partnerships, data security, and privacy within the payments industry.
• Experience drafting and negotiating complex contracts.
• Demonstrated background in communication and coordination of complex issues and projects with diverse levels of management and cross-functional partners.
• A passion for the payments industry.
• Team-oriented and collaborative approach, leaving ego at the door.

We're working to build a more inclusive economy where our customers have equal access to opportunity, and we strive to live by these same values in building our workplace. Block is an equal opportunity employer evaluating all employees and job applicants without regard to identity or any legally protected class. We will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment in accordance with state and local laws and "fair chance" ordinances.
We believe in being fair, and are committed to an inclusive interview experience, including providing reasonable accommodations to disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. We encourage applicants to share any needed accommodations with their recruiter, who will treat these requests as confidentially as possible. Want to learn more about what we're doing to build a workplace that is fair and square? Check out our I+D page .
While there is no specific deadline to apply for this role, U.S. roles are typically open for an average of 55 days before being filled by a successful candidate. Please refer to the date listed at the top of this job page for when this role was first posted.
Block takes a market-based approach to pay, and pay may vary depending on your location. U.S. locations are categorized into one of four zones based on a cost of labor index for that geographic area. The successful candidate's starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.
To find a location's zone designation, please refer to this resource . If a location of interest is not listed, please speak with a recruiter for additional information.
Zone A:
$217,800 - $326,800 USD
Zone B:
$202,600 - $303,800 USD
Zone C:
$191,700 - $287,500 USD
Zone D:
$185,200 - $277,800 USD
Use of AI in Our Hiring Process
We may use automated AI tools to evaluate job applications for efficiency and consistency. These tools comply with local regulations, including bias audits, and we handle all personal data in accordance with state and local privacy laws.
Contact us at [email protected] with hiring practice or data usage questions.
Every benefit we offer is designed with one goal: empowering you to do the best work of your career while building the life you want. Remote work, medical insurance, flexible time off, retirement savings plans, and modern family planning are just some of our offering. Check out our other benefits at Block.
Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) builds technology to increase access to the global economy. Each of our brands unlocks different aspects of the economy for more people. Square makes commerce and financial services accessible to sellers. Cash App is the easy way to spend, send, and store money. Afterpay is transforming the way customers manage their spending over time. TIDAL is a music platform that empowers artists to thrive as entrepreneurs. Bitkey is a simple self-custody wallet built for bitcoin. Proto is a suite of bitcoin mining products and services. Together, we're helping build a financial system that is open to everyone.