Senior Counsel: Product, Payments & Compliance

Job description

ABOUT POLYGON LABS Polygon Labs is a global blockchain payments company building and operating infrastructure to move money instantly, reliably, and at internet scale, with the mission to move all money onchain. It is building the Polygon Open Money Stack, an open and integrated stack of services and technologies to instantly and reliably move money anywhere, and put it to work. Its infrastructure has facilitated trillions of dollars in onchain value transfer and supported millions of transactions daily for some of the globe's largest banks, fintechs, enterprises, and consumer applications. YOUR ROLE As Senior Counsel, Product and Compliance at Polygon Labs, you will shape how blockchain-based payments infrastructure is built within the US regulatory landscape. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, you will partner closely with product and engineering teams to design, launch, and scale payment solutions that meet evolving financial regulatory requirements. This role goes beyond traditional legal advisory. You will define and operationalize compliance frameworks and internal policies that enable Polygon Labs to build compliant payment products. If you are driven by solving complex regulatory challenges and enabling responsible innovation in financial infrastructure, this role offers real, outsized impact. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES - Serve as the primary legal advisor to product and engineering teams developing blockchain-based payments and financial infrastructure - Provide proactive legal and regulatory guidance on US financial services laws and frameworks, including money transmission, payments regulation, and related compliance obligations - Design, implement, and evolve internal compliance policies, product governance frameworks, and risk assessment processes aligned with US regulatory expectations - Partner closely with compliance, risk, and security teams to embed controls into product design and engineering workflows, including KYC, AML, sanctions, and data privacy requirements - Translate complex regulatory requirements and enforcement trends into clear, actionable guidance for product, engineering, and business teams - Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure product strategy aligns with legal, regulatory, and internal policy standards - Manage external counsel on specialized regulatory matters and support internal reviews related to product and operational risk WHAT YOU'LL NEED - J.D. degree from an accredited law school and active admission to at least one US state bar - 7+ years of legal experience, including law firm and/or in-house roles within fintech, payments, banking, or blockchain environments - Strong expertise in US financial services regulation, including money transmission, payments, and related regulatory frameworks - Demonstrated experience advising on product legal and compliance matters in fintech, crypto, or payments infrastructure - Proven experience building or implementing compliance policies, governance frameworks, or risk management programs in a technology or financial services context - Ability to translate regulatory requirements into practical guidance for product and engineering teams PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Experience supporting blockchain-based payments and stablecoin-related products - Familiarity with US regulatory agencies and frameworks (e.g., FinCEN, state money transmission regimes, and national regulatory licensing) - Background working with both traditional financial institutions and emerging fintech or web3 companies - Experience advising on data privacy, consumer protection, and financial crime compliance in product environments - Comfort using AI-assisted legal research and contract review tools to increase throughput and accuracy - Familiarity with the legal and regulatory questions surrounding AI, including automated decision-making, model liability, and applicable data protection frameworks - Ability to evaluate AI-generated work product critically, applying professional judgment to verify accuracy and flag gaps before reliance POLYGON LABS PERKS The goal of the Polygon Labs total rewards program is to support the health and well-being of you and your family. Our comprehensive compensation plan includes the following benefits for our full time employees: - Remote first global workforce - Industry leading Medical, Dental and Vision health insurance* - Company matching 401k with 3% match* - $1,500 Home Office Set Up Allowance (life-time max) - $200 AI Allowance Program - $75 Monthly internet or phone reimbursement - Flexible Time Off - Company issued laptop - Egg freezing, mental health, and employee wellness benefits *In certain countries medical, dental and vision is fully covered for employees & their dependents. This is country and plan specific. *401k is for United States employees only Polygon Labs is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. Polygon Labs is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration and equal opportunity. Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process and applicants with a disability may request to be accommodated throughout the recruitment process. We will work with all applicants to accommodate their individual accessibility needs. If you think you have what it takes, but don't necessarily meet every single point on the job description, please still get in touch. We'd love to have a chat and see if you could be a great fit. Learn More about Polygon Labs Website https://polygon.technology/ |Twitter https://twitter.com/0xPolygon|Telegram https://t.me/polygonofficial |Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/0xpolygon/ |Discord https://discord.gg/0xpolygoncommunity |Instagram https://www.instagram.com/0xpolygon/ |Facebook https://www.facebook.com/0xPolygon.Technology |LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/13449964/admin/