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Payments Counsel

Role overview

Qualifications

  • JD from a top-level law program
  • At least 5–8 years of legal experience focused on payments, fintech, financial services regulation
  • Strong understanding of US and EU payments regulations
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Responsibilities

  • Advise on U.S. and EU payments regulations
  • Partner with Compliance and Licensing teams on MTL applications
  • Draft card holder agreements across multiple jurisdictions
  • Manage relationships with outside counsel on specialized regulatory issues

Key facts

Other skills

  • Communication
  • Collaboration
  • Adaptability

About the company

Tephra Labs logo

Tephra Labs

Blockchain, Crypto & Web3

Governments and companies have failed to move the needle against many of humanity’s most important challenges and opportunities. We need new organizational structures. At Tephra Labs, we believe that decentralized human networks have the potential to be the right meta-coordinating structures for these large-scale problems. These networks can engage diverse participants and grow to unprecedented sizes (hundreds of millions of people). Further, they do not rely on the same kind of centralized direction-setting that is characteristic of governments and companies – making them lower overhead organizational structures overall. Tephra Labs’ mission is to enable large-scale human coordination to address humanity’s most important challenges and opportunities. We aim to build the infrastructure to scale decentralized networks to billions of people, and to support network participants in leading consistent, purposeful, and fulfilling lives. Our hypothesis is that hyper-scale decentralized networks will grow by engaging people as independent workers, rather than employees. So, we are building the necessary products, tooling, and services to help independent workers thrive. Our first product is Radius (https://radius.space). Radius is a decentralized network that connects independent workers and teams to the best projects in web3. As part of the Radius project, we are building decentralized reputation systems, skills attestation protocols, and a user-owned and value accretive economy. In accordance with our mission, we will also build educational curricula and programs to help train Radius workers and onboard them successfully into web3 work opportunities. We are excited to build the necessary infrastructure to enable the first billion-person organizations in human history. If this mission also inspires you, consider joining us.

Company details

Company typeStartup
IndustryBlockchain, Crypto & Web3
Company size2 - 10

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Job description

About the Company

Rain makes the next generation of payments possible across the globe. We’re a lean and mighty team of passionate builders and veteran founders. Our infrastructure makes stablecoins usable in the real-world by powering card transactions, cross-border payments, B2B purchases, remittances, and more. We partner with fintechs, neobanks, and institutions to help them launch solutions that are global, inclusive, and efficient. You will have the opportunity to deliver massive impact at a hypergrowth company that is funded by some of the top investors in fintech, crypto, and SaaS, including Sapphire Ventures, Norwest, Galaxy Ventures, Lightspeed, Khosla, and several more. If you’re curious, bold, and excited to help shape a borderless financial future, we’d love to talk.

Our Ethos

We believe in an open and flat structure. You will be able to grow into the role that most aligns with your goals. Our team members at all levels have the freedom to explore ideas and impact the roadmap and vision of our company.

About the Team

We’re looking for a Payments Counsel to join our growing Legal team. You’ll be a trusted advisor across the business, ensuring our products, licenses, and partnerships are structured and executed in compliance with applicable payments regulations. This is a highly cross-functional role, working closely with Compliance, Risk, Product, and Business Development.

What you’ll do

  • Advise on U.S. and EU payments regulations, including state money transmission laws, federal banking regulations, PSD2/PSD3, EMD2, e-money licensing, card network rules, and virtual asset frameworks.

  • Partner with Compliance and Licensing teams on MTL applications, international licenses, and ongoing obligations.

  • Draft card holder agreements across multiple jurisdictions.

  • Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements with banks, payment processors, card networks, and vendors.

  • Manage relationships with outside counsel on specialized regulatory or jurisdictional issues.

  • Assist with responses to regulators and participate in audits, exams, and inquiries.

  • Stay ahead of regulatory changes affecting payments, crypto, and fintech; help shape internal strategy and external engagement.

You are likely to succeed if you have:

  • A JD from a top-level law program. Preference for US-trained lawyers, but international JDs will be considered.

  • At least 5–8 years of legal experience, focused on payments, fintech, financial services regulation, or related areas.

  • Strong understanding of US and EU payments regulations, including state MTLs, the Durbin Amendment, Regulation E, PSD2/PSD3, EMD2, EMI licensing, and card network rules.

  • Experience advising on commercial contracts and regulatory issues for fintech or payments companies.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to translate complex regulation into clear business advice.

  • A collaborative, business-oriented mindset; comfortable working across multiple teams and time zones.

Bonus attributes:

  • Digital assets/crypto regulatory experience (e.g., VASP regimes, MiCA).

  • Prior in-house experience at a fintech, payments company, or financial regulator.

Things that enable a fulfilling, healthy and happy experience at Rain:

  • Unlimited time off 🌴 Unlimited vacation can be daunting, so we require Rainmakers to take 10 days minimum for themselves.

  • Flexible working ☕ We support a flexible workplace, if you feel comfortable at home please work from home. If you’d like to work with others in an office feel free to come in. We want everyone to be able to work in the environment in which they are their most confident and productive selves. New Rainmakers will have a stipend to create a comfortable atmosphere at home.

  • Easy to access benefits 🧠 For US Rainmakers, we offer comprehensive health, dental and vision plans for you and your dependents, as well as a 100% company subsidized life insurance plan.

  • Retirement goals 💡 Plan for the future with confidence. We offer a 401(k) with a 4% company match.

  • Equity plan 📦 We offer every Rainmaker an equity option plan so we can all benefit from our success.

  • Health and Wellness 📚 High performance begins from within. Rainmakers receive a monthly stipend to be used for eligible health and wellness spending like gym memberships/fitness classes, massages, acupuncture — whatever recharges you!

  • Team summits ✨ Summits play an important role at Rain! Time spent together helps us get to know each other, strengthen our relationships, and build a common destiny. Expect team and company offsites both domestically and internationally.

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MR

Marcus Rivera

Chief Revenue Officer

m.rivera@company.com
linkedin.com/in/marcusrivera
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