Director, Legal – Product & Regulatory

Kikoff•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

Kikoff is seeking a talented and capable lawyer to serve as a strategic legal partner to its product, engineering, and business teams. This role will work across Kikoff’s growing product ecosystem, including credit-building products, earned wage access (EWA), a secured credit card, and new product lines in development. The position requires someone comfortable operating in areas of legal ambiguity, advising on both bank-partnered and direct-to-consumer product structures, and thriving at the intersection of consumer financial services and technology. The goal is to help the company move fast while staying compliant within a complex and evolving regulatory landscape.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar.
7+ years of experience in consumer financial services law, with meaningful exposure to fintech product counseling.
A mix of law firm and in-house experience is strongly preferred.
Deep familiarity with federal consumer finance statutes (TILA, ECOA, FCRA, EFTA) and state-level lending and money transmission frameworks.
Experience advising on at least one of: credit-building or credit reporting products, earned wage access, or consumer lending through bank partnership models.
Working knowledge of consumer data privacy laws (CCPA/CPRA, GLBA) and comfort advising product teams on data collection, use, and sharing practices.
Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in fast-moving, ambiguous environments—translating legal risk into clear, decision-ready guidance for business stakeholders.
Excellent judgment and a bias toward enabling the business, not just identifying risk.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex legal concepts for non-legal audiences.
Enthusiasm for Kikoff’s mission and the opportunity to expand access to financial services for underserved consumers.

Nice To Haves

Experience advising on products involving AI or algorithmic decision-making in a consumer finance context, including fair lending and model governance considerations.
Experience supporting SEC reporting, corporate governance, or capital markets work as a company scales.
Prior work with multi-state licensing and regulatory examination processes.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary legal advisor to product and engineering teams throughout the product development lifecycle, from concept through launch and iteration.
Advise on the design, structuring, and regulatory implications of consumer financial products, including credit-building tradelines, earned wage access, secured credit cards, and new product concepts.
Navigate federal and state consumer financial regulations, including TILA, ECOA, FCRA, ECOA, EFTA, UDAP/UDAAP, MLA & SCRA, ROSCA, state financial regulation, and the evolving EWA regulatory landscape.
Provide guidance on marketing and communications under TCPA, CAN-SPAM, and other state and federal law.
Support both bank-partnered and non-bank product structures, including drafting and negotiating partner bank agreements, program agreements, and vendor contracts.
Advise on data privacy and consumer data protection requirements, including CCPA/CPRA, GLBA, and state privacy laws.
Monitor regulatory developments—particularly from the CFPB, state regulators, and the courts—and proactively translate them into actionable product guidance.
Support state licensing applications, renewals, and compliance filings as needed.
Draft, review, and negotiate consumer-facing terms and disclosures, marketing materials, and commercial agreements.
Collaborate cross-functionally with compliance, risk, marketing, and operations to embed legal guardrails without slowing the pace of innovation.