Sr. Director, Legal Counsel

Green Dot Corporation•Los Angeles, CA

4d•$183,000 - $274,500•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sr. Director, Legal Counsel is a senior legal leader supporting Green Dot Network (GDN) and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) businesses. The role provides strategic legal guidance on commercial, regulatory, operational, and product matters, helping enable business growth while managing legal and regulatory risk. It advises executive leaders and business partners on complex matters involving payments, embedded banking, partner bank programs, fintech partnerships, money movement, and consumer financial services. The role develops legal strategies aligned with business objectives, negotiates critical commercial agreements, oversees outside counsel, and partners with Compliance, Risk, Product, Operations, Finance, and business leadership on enterprise initiatives. At the Sr. Director level, the position translates business strategy into functional plans, influences policy and strategy, partners with executive leadership, and serves as an influential leader across the organization. The position is structured hybrid, requiring at least three days per week in the office, with flexibility to work remotely on the remaining days. Candidates must be able to work from the West LA office in Los Angeles or the SoMa office in San Francisco. On-site expectations may evolve to support business needs, with advance communication. The role is a regular position and requires authorization to work in the U.S. without current or future visa sponsorship.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
Active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
12+ years of progressive legal experience, including significant in-house or financial services experience.
Extensive experience negotiating and drafting complex commercial agreements.
Demonstrated experience supporting banking, fintech, payments, prepaid, deposit, or BaaS businesses.
Strong understanding of financial services regulatory frameworks and risk management principles.
Experience advising senior executives on strategic and high-risk matters.
Proven ability to influence decisions across multiple business functions.
Exceptional commercial contracting and negotiation skills.
Strong business acumen and ability to balance legal risk with business objectives.
Ability to simplify complex legal concepts into practical business guidance.
Strong executive presence and communication skills.
Strategic problem-solving ability and sound judgment.
Ability to influence senior leaders and drive enterprise-wide outcomes.
Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to work in the U.S. without sponsorship, now or in the future.
Ability to meet the location requirement and work from the Los Angeles West LA office or San Francisco SoMa office.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting Banking-as-a-Service, embedded finance, partner bank, or fintech partnership models.
Experience with payment networks, ACH, card processing, money movement, or digital banking products.
Prior experience at a regulated financial institution, fintech company, partner bank, payment company, or major law firm.
Experience managing attorneys or legal teams.
Familiarity with consumer financial services laws and regulations.

Responsibilities

Serve as the lead legal advisor supporting the GDN and BaaS organizations.
Partner with executive leadership to identify legal and regulatory risks associated with strategic initiatives and growth opportunities.
Translate business strategy into practical legal guidance and risk-based recommendations.
Influence legal, operational, and business policies that affect enterprise objectives.
Develop and implement legal frameworks supporting product innovation, partner onboarding, and business expansion.
Structure, draft, review, and negotiate complex commercial agreements, including BaaS and embedded finance agreements, program management agreements, partner and sponsor bank arrangements, payment network agreements, fintech partnership agreements, distribution and referral arrangements, and vendor and technology contracts.
Lead negotiations involving significant financial, operational, and regulatory implications.
Develop standardized contracting approaches that improve efficiency while maintaining appropriate risk controls.
Advise on laws and regulations affecting banking, prepaid products, payments, deposit products, money movement services, and fintech offerings.
Provide legal guidance throughout product development and the product lifecycle.
Support examinations, audits, inquiries, and regulatory interactions as needed.
Collaborate with Compliance and Risk teams to assess emerging regulatory developments and business impacts.
Partner with Product, Compliance, Enterprise Risk, Operations, Finance, Information Security, and Business Development teams.
Facilitate resolution of high-impact legal issues across multiple business functions.
Drive legal support for strategic projects, partnerships, and enterprise initiatives.
Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners.
Manage outside counsel and legal vendors, including budgets, scope, and performance.
Ensure legal budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements.
Improve legal processes, templates, governance structures, and risk management practices.
Develop training and educational materials for business stakeholders.
Support litigation management and dispute resolution efforts as needed.
Lead, mentor, and develop attorneys, legal professionals, and cross-functional project teams.
Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, business partnership, and sound risk management.
Contribute to succession planning and organizational capability building within the Legal function.
Translate business segment strategy into functional legal plans and guide execution.
Interact with executives, senior management, and major partners; represent the organization and negotiate on matters of significance.
Influence policymaking and strategy through communication and persuasion.
Partner with executive leadership to provide cohesive direction toward company goals.
Ensure budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements and serve as a trusted legal advisor across the organization.