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Company Description

Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. We build, power, and evolve the tools and technologies that connect entrepreneurs with buyers around the world. Etsy, Inc.'s 'house of brands' portfolio has expanded to now include four individually distinct ecommerce brands -- Etsy, fashion resale marketplace Depop, musical instrument marketplace Reverb, and Brazil-based handmade goods marketplace Elo7. As an Etsy employee, you'll tackle unique problems alongside talented coworkers committed to Keeping Commerce Human. We're large enough that you'll focus on meaningful, complex challenges, but small enough that you can make a rewarding impact.

Job Description

Etsy is seeking a Director I, Assistant General Counsel, Payments to join our growing legal team. The role will support our rapidly growing and evolving payments business across our House of Brands (Etsy, Depop, Reverb & Elo7), advising on all aspects of payments operations and expansion, including product development, commercial transactions, and regulatory requirements. You’ll counsel Etsy’s business, product, operations, compliance and engineering teams on the application of payment laws and regulations, helping us to build products and expand internationally in a way that meets our obligations, as well as the needs of our community. You will be hitting the ground running, answering interesting questions and tackling uncharted FinTech problems.

This is a full-time position reporting to the Assistant General Counsel, Payments, Product & Commercial (based in Dublin). For this role, we are considering candidates based in the U.S., Ireland, or the U.K. who are either remote, flex, or office-based but hires will be expected to travel to our offices in Brooklyn and Dublin quarterly and work closely to EST. Etsy offers different work modes to meet the variety of needs and preferences of our team. Learn more about our flexible work options and vaccination policy here.

What’s the team like at Etsy?

Etsy’s Legal organization is a dynamic team of lawyers working on some of the most challenging technical, commercial, and regulatory problems around. We’re looking for a payments lawyer with deep expertise to join our team. In this role, you will work with people throughout the company to help Etsy and our brands grow in a manner that complies with payments, financial services, and other regulations that apply to Etsy across the world.

What does the day-to-day look like?

• Work with business teams across our House of Brands to explore and evaluate new business opportunities in the payments space across multiple jurisdictions, to help the teams understand regulatory compliance obligations and to facilitate launch of any new payments-related products/services.
• Provide day-to-day advice, resolving issues that arise in existing commercial relationships, drafting and negotiating complicated payments and other related commercial agreements, and providing ongoing legal counseling on a wide range of legal and commercial areas.
• Provide thought-leadership on the evolution of Etsy’s payments strategy.
• Advise the business on compliance and legal issues surrounding structuring of new and existing payments-related products from initial stages of product development through to launch and beyond.
• Draft customer-facing policies for our payments products and advise on appropriate customer communications and disclosures.
• Be an integral part of the payments product, engineering, and commercial teams, working with them to help design and deliver solutions that are compliant with applicable legislation, such as PSD II.
• Manage local outside counsel to secure and provide tailored advice on the launch of payments products and features across various markets.
• Monitor payments related legal and regulatory developments applicable to the businesses and advise on change management processes related to those developments.
• Coordinate closely with subject matter experts within the global Legal team to ensure comprehensive and consistent legal risk mitigation strategies. In particular, support the Compliance function with identifying and aligning with all relevant regulatory obligations that apply to the payment operations of the Etsy group marketplaces, both within the US and internationally.
• Ensure effective risk management practices in accordance with relevant laws, regulations, and company policies.
• We are a global business. This role requires an attorney with experience identifying, understanding, and managing international payments legal and regulatory risks.
• Of course, this is just a sample of the kinds of work this role will require! You should assume that your role will encompass other tasks, too, and that your job duties and responsibilities may change from time to time at Etsy's discretion, or otherwise applicable with local law.

Qualifications

Qualities that will help you thrive in this role are:

• JD (or local equivalent), and are admitted to a state bar (preferably NY or CA) or are qualified to work in-house in New York, Dublin, or London.
• 10+ years experience at both a law firm and in-house. In-house experience at a FinTech or financial service company is strongly desired.
• Deep substantive knowledge of global payments regulation and regulatory frameworks relevant to payments and financial services systems globally.
• Ability to work in a high-velocity environment, meet tight deadlines and act decisively.
• Ability to present complex issues in a clear and concise manner and provide succinct, practical and results-focused legal advice.
• Excellent business judgment, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience being the primary point of contact with clients, and taking the lead in handling the legal side of a project. You often work cross-functionally across legal, compliance, business and engineering functions.
• Experience in a fast paced company, with a history of advising in real-time in meetings, providing accurate guidance and pragmatic solutions.
• Excellent presentation skills and a comfort with leading discussions relating to legal and regulatory risk at the executive level are essential. The ability to represent the Etsy Group’s interests externally is also critical.
• Experienced in getting the most from the internal teams you work with, others in legal, and outside counsel, through clear communication and effective project management.
• Skilled at identifying, understanding, and managing international legal and regulatory risks related to payments and financial services in addition to our business.
• Effective communicator both verbal and written. You can speak to technical payments specialists and senior business leaders.
• Passionate about clearly articulating risk and strategies to mitigate risk to clients and executives.
• Outstanding organizational skills, attention to detail and work ethic.
• Excellent business, negotiation and presentation skills.
• You love what you do and could work with any company, but you want to work at Etsy because you recognize that having the chance to contribute impactful work and grow a company with an outstanding mission is a rare opportunity.

Additional Information

If you're interested in joining the team at Etsy, please send a cover letter and resume telling us why you'd be right for the position. As you've hopefully seen already, Etsy is a place that values individuality and variety. We don't want you to be like everyone else -- we want you to be like you! So write to us and tell us what you're all about.

At Etsy, we believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace makes us a more relevant, more competitive, and more resilient company. We encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply. Etsy is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or caregiver status, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. While Etsy supports visa sponsorship, sponsorship opportunities may be limited to certain roles and skillsets.

Many Etsy roles are open to remote candidates, and you'll be able to identify which ones within the location header of each job description. We're open to remote hires from all U.S. states except Hawaii and Alaska. For candidates who will work remotely from Colorado, visit this link for information related to Colorado's Equal Pay for Equal Work Act.