Counsel - Data Protection, Privacy & Cyber Security

Job description

Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them. Chart your own path and grow your career while helping more customers achieve financial freedom. Empower Yourself. Counsel - Data Protection, Privacy & Cyber Security Position Summary Empower is transforming how Americans experience financial services, bringing together workplace retirement, personal wealth, and innovative financial solutions to help millions of people achieve their financial goals. With that scale comes an increasingly complex and evolving regulatory environment—and an opportunity for talented lawyers to build deep expertise while working on issues that matter across the enterprise. We are seeking a Counsel – Privacy & AML to join Empower’s Legal Department. This is an opportunity for an early-career attorney to develop expertise at the intersection of privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, anti-money laundering (AML), financial crimes, and financial services regulation while working alongside experienced attorneys and business partners across Empower. You will provide legal research, analysis, and practical guidance on privacy and AML matters affecting Empower’s businesses, products, customers, and operations. You will work closely with colleagues across Legal, Compliance, Financial Crimes, Risk, Technology, Cybersecurity, Product, Operations, and other functions to help Empower navigate evolving regulatory requirements and implement practical solutions. This role is well suited for an attorney who is intellectually curious, enjoys learning new areas of law, and wants meaningful responsibility and exposure early in their career. You do not need to arrive as an expert in every area—we are looking for strong legal fundamentals, sound judgment, curiosity, and someone who wants to grow. What You Will Do Privacy, Data Protection & Cybersecurity Research, interpret, and provide legal guidance regarding federal, state, and evolving global privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, consumer protection, and related laws and regulations, including GLBA, state comprehensive privacy laws, FCRA, TCPA, CAN-SPAM, and other applicable requirements. Advise business partners on privacy and data protection requirements affecting Empower’s products, services, operations, and customer interactions. Support the development, implementation, and maintenance of privacy policies, notices, procedures, and other compliance frameworks. Provide legal support regarding the collection, use, sharing, retention, and protection of personal information. Assist with legal issues involving cybersecurity, data incidents, information security, online privacy, and evolving technology and data practices. Review and draft privacy and data protection provisions in client, vendor, and other commercial agreements, and support contract negotiations and RFPs. Assist with records retention and information governance matters, including interpreting legal and regulatory retention requirements. Support regulatory examinations, inquiries, and other matters involving privacy, cybersecurity, data protection, and related issues. Monitor emerging privacy, cybersecurity, technology, and consumer protection developments and help translate new legal requirements into practical guidance for the business. Research and provide legal guidance on evolving laws, regulations, regulatory guidance, and industry standards governing artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, including requirements relating to privacy, data use, transparency, automated decision-making, governance, and consumer protection. Partner with Legal, Privacy, Compliance, Risk, Technology, Cybersecurity, Product, and other stakeholders on the responsible development, procurement, and use of AI-enabled tools and applications, including helping assess legal and regulatory considerations associated with new AI use cases. AML & Financial Crimes Research and analyze federal and state laws, regulations, regulatory guidance, and industry developments relating to anti-money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act requirements, sanctions, and financial crimes. Provide legal support to Empower’s Compliance and Financial Crimes teams regarding the interpretation and application of AML and related regulatory requirements. Assist with legal questions involving customer identification and verification, customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, suspicious activity, sanctions screening, and other components of Empower’s financial crimes compliance framework. Support the review and development of AML and financial crimes policies, procedures, controls, and governance frameworks. Assist with regulatory examinations, inquiries, internal reviews, and remediation efforts involving AML and financial crimes matters. Monitor legislative, regulatory, and enforcement developments and work with senior attorneys and compliance partners to assess their potential impact on Empower’s businesses and operations. Partner with attorneys across the Legal Department on matters where privacy, data use, fraud prevention, AML, sanctions, and other regulatory requirements intersect. Business Partnership & Professional Development Work closely with attorneys and business partners across Empower to identify legal issues, conduct research and analysis, and develop practical, business-focused solutions. Prepare legal memoranda, regulatory analyses, summaries, presentations, policies, and other materials for legal and business audiences. Translate complex legal and regulatory requirements into clear, actionable guidance. Develop strong working relationships across Legal, Compliance, Financial Crimes, Risk, Technology, Cybersecurity, Product, Operations, and other functions. Collaborate with attorneys across the Legal Department to provide consistent, enterprise-wide legal guidance and contribute to a “one team” approach. Take on increasing responsibility as your knowledge of Empower’s businesses and applicable regulatory frameworks grows. What You Will Bring Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with a state bar. 3+ years of relevant legal experience; experience may include a law firm, corporate legal department, government agency, regulator, judicial clerkship, or other relevant setting. Strong legal research, analytical, writing, and problem-solving skills. Interest in developing expertise in privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, AML, financial crimes, and financial services regulation. Ability to understand complex legal requirements and communicate them clearly and practically to legal and non-legal audiences. Strong organizational and time-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple matters and competing priorities. Collaborative approach and willingness to work across functions and subject-matter areas. Intellectual curiosity, initiative, and enthusiasm for learning new areas of law and developing new expertise. Sound judgment, discretion, and integrity in handling confidential and sensitive information. What Will Set You Apart Experience or coursework involving privacy, cybersecurity, AML/BSA, financial crimes, consumer financial services, securities, banking, or other financial services regulation. Familiarity with privacy and data protection frameworks, including GLBA and state comprehensive privacy laws. Familiarity with the Bank Secrecy Act, USA PATRIOT Act, FinCEN regulations or guidance, OFAC sanctions requirements, or other AML and financial crimes frameworks. Experience working in or with a financial services, fintech, retirement, wealth management, banking, insurance, or other regulated organization. CIPP/US certification, or interest in obtaining the certification after joining Empower. Demonstrated interest in emerging issues involving data, technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, fraud, or financial crimes. What Sets This Role Apart: Build broad expertise early. Privacy, cybersecurity, fraud, AML, sanctions, and financial crimes increasingly intersect. This role offers the opportunity to develop experience across these disciplines rather than being limited to a single regulatory specialty. Learn in a business with significant scale and complexity. Empower operates across retirement and wealth and serves millions of customers. You will see how legal and regulatory requirements apply in a sophisticated financial services organization and gain exposure to issues that span products, technology, operations, compliance, and customer experience. Have meaningful impact. You will work on real business and regulatory issues from the outset, with opportunities to take on greater responsibility as your expertise develops. Work across the enterprise. You will collaborate with experienced professionals across Legal, Compliance, Financial Crimes, Risk, Technology, Cybersecurity, Product, Operations, and other teams, giving you broad exposure to both the legal and business sides of Empower. Develop as a lawyer. This role is designed for someone who wants to learn. You will work with experienced attorneys and subject-matter experts while developing the judgment, regulatory expertise, and business acumen needed to become a trusted legal advisor. How We Work at Empower At Empower, how we work matters as much as what we accomplish. We value collaboration, transparency, shared ownership, and practical problem-solving. Our Legal team works alongside the business to help identify solutions, manage risk thoughtfully, and enable Empower to innovate and grow responsibly. We are looking for someone who: Approaches problems with curiosity and a willingness to learn. Builds strong, trust-based relationships and operates with a “one team” mindset. Communicates clearly and pragmatically. Takes ownership while knowing when to seek guidance. Exercises sound judgment and leads with integrity. Welcomes different perspectives and contributes to a collaborative, inclusive environment. Why Empower Empower is uniquely positioned at the intersection of workplace retirement and personal wealth, creating opportunities to help millions of people navigate some of the most important financial decisions of their lives. For a lawyer early in their career, that scale creates something equally valuable: the opportunity to learn. Privacy, technology, cybersecurity, fraud prevention, AML, and financial crimes are evolving rapidly, and Empower provides a platform to develop expertise in these areas while seeing firsthand how legal advice shapes products, operations, technology, compliance, and customer experiences. If you are looking for a role where you can build expertise, take on meaningful responsibility, learn from experienced colleagues, and help a leading financial services organization navigate some of its most interesting emerging legal and regulatory issues, we’d like to meet you. What we offer you We offer an array of diverse and inclusive benefits regardless of where you are in your career. We believe that providing our employees with the means to lead healthy balanced lives results in the best possible work performance. Medical, dental, vision and life insurance Retirement savings – 401(k) plan with generous company matching contributions (up to 6%), financial advisory services, potential company discretionary contribution, and a broad investment lineup Tuition reimbursement up to $5,250/year Business-casual environment that includes the option to wear jeans Generous paid time off upon hire – including a paid time off program plus ten paid company holidays and three floating holidays each calendar year Paid volunteer time — 16 hours per calendar year Leave of absence programs – including paid parental leave, paid short- and long-term disability, and Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) Business Resource Groups (BRGs) – BRGs facilitate inclusion and collaboration across our business internally and throughout the communities where we live, work and play. BRGs are open to all. Base Salary Range $144,200.00 - $209,150.00 The salary range above shows the typical minimum to maximum base salary range for this position in the location listed. Non-sales positions have the opportunity to participate in a bonus program. Sales positions are eligible for sales incentives, and in some instances a bonus plan, whereby total compensation may far exceed base salary depending on individual performance. Actual compensation offered may vary from posted hiring range based upon geographic location, work experience, education, licensure requirements and/or skill level and will be finalized at the time of offer. Equal opportunity employer • Drug-free workplace We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age (40 and over), race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, religion, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable state or local law. ***For remote and hybrid positions you will be required to provide reliable high-speed internet with a wired connection as well as a place in your home to work with limited disruption. You must have reliable connectivity from an internet service provider that is fiber, cable or DSL internet. Other necessary computer equipment, will be provided. You may be required to work in the office if you do not have an adequate home work environment and the required internet connection.*** Job Posting End Date at 12:01 am on: 09-18-2026 Want the latest money news and views shaping how we live, work and play? Stay in the know with The Currency and sign up for Empower’s free newsletter.