Product Counsel

About Column

For companies building financial technology and transforming the financial services space, the biggest bottleneck to their growth and innovation is often the underlying banks and infrastructure stack they rely on. We have spent our careers founding and scaling companies like Plaid, Square, Meta, Blend, and Affirm, and have seen this problem firsthand — builders and developers needing to partner with traditional banks, and creating API and abstraction layers over the patchwork that is the bank, its core, and many other vendors. All of this results in a complex (and often expensive) banking supply chain involving a user, fintech, BaaS middleware provider, bank, core and the Federal Reserve.

At Column, we set out to simplify and fix this. We are a bank and a software company built from the ground up, offering builders and developers technology-forward banking solutions that cut out the hundreds of vendors, middleware providers, and abstraction layers. This means a safer, more transparent, and less costly banking supply chain. Come build with us!

The opportunity

As a senior Product Counsel, you will be responsible for providing strategic counsel for Column’s product offerings, both existing and new. This isn't a role where you'll be stuck in the background – you'll be a key strategic partner working directly with our Go-to-Market, Engineering, Compliance, Risk, and Finance teams to drive product development and expansion. Your unique perspective, drawn from past experience in traditional banking, fintech, and/or highly regulated product launches, will be invaluable as we navigate complex regulatory environments while maintaining our competitive edge.

Unlike typical in-house counsel positions where you might be one of many lawyers reviewing decisions made by others, this role offers true ownership. You'll be the key decision-maker on product legal strategy, with direct access to leadership and the ability to shape our approach to regulatory compliance and product development as we launch new fintech partnerships and expand our existing offerings. In connection with these launches, you will also work closely with our fintech partners to innovate and launch products, making this a hands-on and customer-facing role. This is an opportunity to combine your BigLaw training, banking knowledge, and fintech experience to create something meaningful. If you're ready to become a builder, we should talk.

This role reports directly to the Bank’s General Counsel and is based in San Francisco, CA.

What you’ll do

• Drive Product Strategy & Innovation: Be the strategic legal voice enabling product innovation, not a bottleneck. Partner closely with our business teams and our fintech partners from ideation through launch, anticipating challenges and architecting creative solutions that balance business needs with regulatory requirements.

• Own Regulatory Architecture: Build and evolve our regulatory frameworks for existing and new products. Partner with compliance and risk teams to develop scalable approaches that protect the business while enabling growth. Navigate complex regulatory landscapes to find practical paths forward.

• Lead Subject Matter Expertise: Be the go-to authority on legal and regulatory requirements across payments, lending, card relationships, and banking products. Develop and maintain deep expertise in banking partnership structures, payment systems, correspondent banking, and emerging fintech regulations. Stay ahead of regulatory changes and translate their impact for the business.

• Build Strategic Partnerships: Foster strong relationships across Product, Engineering, Risk, and Go-to-Market teams. Develop trust as a business partner who understands both technical requirements and commercial objectives. Enable teams to move quickly while maintaining appropriate risk controls.

• Shape Industry Dialogue: Represent Column's interests with regulators, industry groups, and partners. Share insights on regulatory developments and their practical implications. Help establish Column as a thought leader in banking infrastructure.

• Scale Operations: Design and implement legal processes that can scale with hypergrowth. Improve partner onboarding efficiency while maintaining robust compliance. Build repeatable frameworks that enable the business to move faster.

• Enable Business Growth: Partner with Go-to-Market teams to streamline partner onboarding and product launches. Develop standardized approaches that reduce friction while managing risk. Help establish Column as the platform of choice for embedded banking.

What you’ll need to be successful

• Currently licensed in a U.S. state, J.D. or equivalent, with 7-15+ years as a practicing lawyer; priority given to candidates with both law firm experience and in-house experience at a fintech and/or a financial institution 

• Deep expertise counseling product teams on banking infrastructure and embedded finance solutions, both domestic and international, particularly:

  • Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) products and partnerships

  • Commercial banking services including payment rails (ACH, wire, RTP), account structures, and cash management solutions

  • Core banking products like accounts, cards, lending, and deposit operations

• Comprehensive knowledge of the regulatory framework governing banking partnerships and fintech services, including some or all of:

  • Banking regulations and supervisory requirements

  • BSA/AML compliance and KYC standards

  • Consumer financial protection regulations (UDAAP, Reg E, Reg Z)

  • Privacy and data security requirements (GLBA, CCPA/CPRA)

  • Money transmission and payment services regulation

• Familiarity with data privacy, information security, tax, and intellectual property

• The ability to multitask and prioritize effectively with minimal direct supervision

Pay transparency

Compensation packages at Column include base salary, equity, and benefits. New hire offers are made based on a candidate's experience, expertise, geographic location, and internal pay equity relative to peers.

The annual base salary range for this position is $210,000 - $300,000 + equity.

What you’ll get from us:

• 🏥 Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans, including options that are 100% covered by Column for you and 100% covered for your dependents!

• 👶 Comprehensive family planning and fertility benefits via partnership with Carrot, including reimbursement of up to $20,000 in qualified expenses

• 💳 FSA and HSA account options to enable use of pre-tax money for medical and dependent care expenses

• 📈 401k plan, including self-directed brokerage options

• 🌴 Flexible time-off policy - take the time off that you want and need to relax and recharge

• 👶 100% paid parental leave, including 16 weeks for birth mothers, 12 weeks for primary caregivers, and 8 weeks for secondary caregivers

• 🍽️ Catered lunches and dinners for SF employees

• 🚆 Commuter benefits

• 🎉 Regular team building events, including annual offsite

We look forward to hearing from you

Column is committed to working with the best and brightest people from the broadest talent pool possible. We value bringing together a team with different perspectives, educational backgrounds, and life experiences, and believe a diversity of ideas is what allows us to develop the best solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation during the application and recruiting process, please reach out to [email protected].

We participate in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program here.