Counsel, Product & Regulatory - Payments & AML

About the role

Since 2019, Mercury has been on a mission to reinvent banking‡ for the modern age. We blend elegant design and cutting-edge technology to offer checking and savings accounts, debit cards, payment services, credit products, cash management tools, and sophisticated analytics. Everything we build reflects our belief that financial products should be thoughtfully crafted, fast, transparent, and genuinely enjoyable to use. As we continue expanding and iterating on our product offerings and as we work to build a nationally chartered bank, we're looking for a Counsel, Product & Regulatory (Payments & AML) to help us navigate increasingly complex questions at the intersection of product, regulation, and financial infrastructure. Our Product & Regulatory Legal team operates like the rest of Mercury: with urgency, curiosity, and a bias toward action. We embed with product teams from early ideation through launch, working alongside engineers, designers, compliance partners, operations teams, and risk stakeholders to get products right. We move fast, we take ownership, and we don't wait to be asked. If something needs figuring out, we're up to the task. We are not a team that sits on the sidelines reviewing finished proposals. We work alongside our partners to identify risks, unlock opportunities, and find practical paths forward. We care deeply about good judgment, strong relationships, and building frameworks that scale.

Responsibilities

• Build scalable guidance. The best legal advice solves more than the question in front of you. You'll help create frameworks and guidance that improve consistency, reduce friction, and allow the organization to make better decisions over time.
• Use AI intentionally. Bring a working knowledge of AI tools in legal workflows and a genuine interest in finding new ways to drive efficiency. We're building a legal team that works smarter, not just harder.
• Stay curious and adaptable. The regulatory and product landscape continues to evolve quickly. New payment rails emerge. Regulatory expectations shift. Business priorities change. You'll embrace that complexity and continue learning alongside it.
• What you should have
• 4+ years of legal experience.
• Active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Experience supporting fintechs, banks, payment companies, sponsor-bank programs, payment networks, BaaS providers, or regulators with substantial payments- or AML-related exposure.
• Strong working knowledge of payments-related regulatory frameworks, and an interest in emerging areas like stablecoins.
• Familiarity with BSA/AML and sanctions requirements.
• Exceptional communication skills. You know your audience and tailor accordingly.
• Strong judgment and comfort operating in ambiguous environments.
• A proactive sense of ownership. You're comfortable saying, "I don'

Additional Information

In 1905, chief engineer John Stevens inherited one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in history: the Panama Canal. The challenge wasn't digging a ditch between two oceans. It was figuring out how to move ships safely through a system of locks, gates, reservoirs, and changing conditions without bringing global commerce to a halt. The solution wasn't to stop movement. It was to create a framework that allowed movement at scale. Modern financial infrastructure presents a similar challenge. Payment systems, banking products, compliance obligations, and regulatory frameworks all exist for a reason. The goal isn't to eliminate complexity. It's to build systems that allow innovation, growth, and customer value within it.

Your Match

How well this role fits your profile.

Company Intel

What employees say

Worked at mercury? Share your experience