Senior Payments Legal & Regulatory Counsel BHFS

Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG)•New York, NY

4d•$224,600 - $274,600•Hybrid

About The Position

BKNG Fintech Legal is seeking a senior attorney with experience in leading and executing payments strategies to act as a critical partner to the business. This role will help develop, launch, and enable a world-class payments operation to support Booking Holdings Inc.’s brands globally. The selected candidate will advise on a range of legal questions related to regulatory strategy, product development, and user experience, demonstrating familiarity with global payments regulatory contexts and payments industry commercial considerations. This opportunity is for a product-savvy, technically competent payments lawyer, potentially with deep experience in relevant areas of financial regulation, to embed within one of the world’s most exciting organizations and help define the future for accessing travel experiences across the world.

Requirements

8+ years of relevant experience practicing law, with a mix of in-house and reputable law firm experience preferred.
Law degree from a top-tier law school, and excellent academic credentials.
Significant experience and demonstrated success advising on regulatory matters in financial services or payments.
Strong knowledge of the laws and regulations that regulate a money services business and entities with money transmission licenses (MTL), or similar payments or financial services regulatory experience advising regulated entities.
Experience with and passion for payments and its regulation, data privacy, security, consumer protection issues in the digital environment, platform liability, marketing and advertising law, and information policy.
Broad experience dealing with government agencies and regulators, specifically state MTL regulators, FinCen and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, including handling regulatory submissions, filings. Ideally experience includes direct engagement with state or federal regulators.
A strong understanding of the broader US regulatory environment and familiarity with US legislation and experience of advising on cross-border and multi-jurisdictional (state and international) regulatory issues.
Understanding of legal principles applicable to payments, including the payments ecosystem (e.g., the role of acquiring and issuing banks, card networks, payment processors, gateways, risk vendors, etc.), regulatory implications (e.g., stored value, money transmission and other payments) and consumer protection laws.
Experience in advising on all aspects of payments, new product development and product delivery channels and working closely with product designers, engineers, and product management.
Excellent business judgment, communication and interpersonal skills along with a demonstrated ability to collaborate successfully with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to work collaboratively in a global team environment as well as on own initiative.
Positive attitude, high level of integrity and intellectual curiosity.
Ability to tolerate change and ambiguity.
Creative thinker with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, handle multiple assignments simultaneously and effectively manage conflicting priorities.
Excellent writing, communication, verbal and written, and organizational skills.
Eager to learn new technologies and ideas. Comfortable navigating complicated and nuanced issues.
Bar admission in good standing in a US state. Preference is admitted in New York or eligible to be registered as an in-house attorney in New York.

Nice To Haves

Experience dealing with major payment networks is desirable.
Previous experience of working within a technology and digital legal environment is desirable.

Responsibilities

Report directly to the Senior Director Legal, BHFS and be primarily responsible for supporting regulatory legal matters related to payments and financial services in the US and Americas region, including advising on licensing, money transmission, BSA compliance and related matters.
Act as a key member of the BHFS US management team and a trusted advisor in shaping strategy and decisions.
Work cross-functionally on a daily basis with the BHFS US Managing Director, technology, risk, compliance and finance teams, and other stakeholders across the business. Interact with broader senior management within BHFS and at BKNG Fintech Legal, as well as members of the Booking Holdings Global Legal Department across subsidiary brands.
Actively manage outside counsel to obtain clear and tailored advice on payments related regulatory initiatives and products.
Work closely with the public affairs team on matters that will impact payments and financial services regulation.
Identify, monitor and advise on emerging payments and financial services regulatory issues impacting the BHFS business in the US region, actively identifying and anticipating changes that may affect strategic objectives, and be a thought leader on these issues.
Provide timely, practical and actionable legal advice on a variety of regulated financial and payments products and services, exercising legal judgment and commercial acumen in assessing legal risks in the US.
Provide legal and strategic business advice to help develop a comprehensive, long-term approach to relationships with key partners on all aspects of US payments operations.
Negotiate and structure international commercial transactions with a wide range of counterparties, cultures and working styles.