Senior Director, Associate General Counsel

Pagaya•New York, NY

About The Position

Pagaya is seeking an accomplished, collaborative, and highly strategic legal executive to join as our Senior Director, Associate General Counsel. This is a unique opportunity to join a high-growth fintech at a pivotal inflection point, currently operating with $8-10B in volume per asset class and scaling for 3–4x growth over the next few years. The role involves partnering with 6+ Tier-1 institutional banks. Reporting directly to the General Counsel, this is a highly visible, high-impact role that exercises vital functional leadership across the organization. The position serves as a strategic bridge between Pagaya’s innovative technology and the complex risk, legal, and compliance frameworks of highly regulated financial institutions. The ideal candidate will possess specialized knowledge of a large traditional lender with a hands-on, builder mentality to draft complex agreements, lead executive discussions, and shape long-term partnership strategies.

Requirements

8–15+ years of total legal experience
7–10 years of expertise in consumer credit, retail banking, or lending partnerships
Expert-level command of key US consumer credit & lending regulations, including TILA/Reg Z, ECOA/Reg B, FCRA, UDAP/UDAAP, and GLBA
Deep familiarity with bank-fintech origination structures, marketplace lending, and the complexities surrounding the "true lender" doctrine
Direct, proven experience navigating the rigorous Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM), InfoSec, and compliance audits required by Tier-1 retail banks
Strong background in financial data protection, privacy, and intellectual property safeguarding within a highly technical, data-driven environment
Exceptional ability to articulate complex regulatory concepts clearly and persuasively, with presentation skills to instill deep trust and build lasting relationships with risk-averse institutional partners
Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
Active membership in good standing with at least one state bar

Nice To Haves

This role is highly suited for a senior legal professional currently at a top-tier retail bank or an established fintech platform who is looking for more direct impact, functional autonomy, and the opportunity to help scale a massive, rapidly growing business.
Ideal backgrounds include SVP/Director of Legal in Consumer Banking, Deputy GC/Associate General Counsel of Fintech/Lending Partnerships, or a Senior Counsel/Partner within a Financial Services Regulatory practice.

Responsibilities

Act as the primary, authoritative legal interface for our institutional partners, leading frictionless due diligence and onboarding for Tier-1 banks, while managing the ongoing legal strategy, relationship health, and evolving regulatory needs of those partnerships.
Take ownership of structuring, drafting, and negotiating complex program agreements, commercial agreements, and model engagement agreements, pairing high-level strategic thinking with a willingness to lead the drafting process.
Act as the resident expert on consumer lending regulations, guiding the business on regulatory flexibility, balancing innovation with compliance, and advocating for Pagaya's position with external partners.
Champion robust data protection and privacy strategies, safeguarding proprietary AI models, data pipelines, and confidential business information.
Partner closely with Pagaya’s product and data science teams to ensure AI-driven underwriting compliance, proactively addressing fair lending requirements and algorithmic bias mitigation.
Serve as a core strategic leader within the legal function, reporting directly to the General Counsel, and guiding/influencing cross-functional teams by translating complex regulatory constraints into actionable, long-term business strategies.