Senior Director - Associate General Counsel

About the Role

We are seeking an accomplished, collaborative, and highly strategic legal executive to join Pagaya 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, we are actively scaling to achieve 3–4x growth over the next few years. To support this massive scale-up, we are in serious discussions to partner with 6+ Tier-1 institutional banks.

Reporting directly to the General Counsel for the entire company, this is a highly visible, high-impact role that exercises vital functional leadership across the organization. You will serve as the ongoing strategic bridge between Pagaya’s innovative technology and the complex risk, legal, and compliance frameworks of highly regulated financial institutions.

We are looking for an expert who is excited to leave their mark on a nimble, rapidly growing company. You will bring the specialized knowledge of a large traditional lender, but possess the hands-on, builder mentality required to draft complex agreements, lead executive discussions, and shape our long-term partnership strategies.

Key Responsibilities

• Long-Term Bank Partnerships & Deal Execution: Act as the primary, authoritative legal interface for our institutional partners. You will lead frictionless due diligence and onboarding for Tier-1 banks, while managing the ongoing legal strategy, relationship health, and evolving regulatory needs of those partnerships over time.
• Strategic Deal Architecture (Hands-On): Take ownership of structuring, drafting, and negotiating complex program agreements, commercial agreements, and model engagement agreements. You will pair high-level strategic thinking with a willingness to roll up your sleeves and lead the drafting process.
• Consumer Lending Subject Matter Expertise: Act as our resident expert on consumer lending regulations. Confidently guide the business on regulatory flexibility, effectively balancing innovation with compliance, and advocate for Pagaya's position with our external partners.
• Franchise & IP Protection: Champion robust data protection and privacy strategies. Safeguard our proprietary AI models, data pipelines, and confidential business information as we rapidly scale and integrate with new institutional partners.
• Regulatory Compliance Strategy: 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.
• Ongoing Functional Leadership: Serve as a core strategic leader within the legal function, reporting directly to the General Counsel. Guide and influence cross-functional teams (Commercial, Product, Data, Research, and Risk) by translating complex regulatory constraints into actionable, long-term business strategies.

Ideal Candidate Profile & Qualifications

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

Note on Background: 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.