Sr Director, Legal Counsel

The Company

PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. 

We operate a global, two-sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third-party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers.

We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards.  Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end-to-end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross-border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross-border trade. 

Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day.  We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.

Job Summary:

This job provides key inputs as an industry leader and expert. They develop and articulate a clear, compelling vision and strategy in alignment with PayPal-wide strategy and operations that inspires others. These jobs are focused on the long-term success strategy of the function.

Job Description:

Essential Responsibilities:

• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of attorneys and legal professionals across multiple jurisdictions.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior executives, influencing business strategy and decision-making.
• Anticipate regulatory and legal risks, and proactively design strategies to manage them.
• Influence long-term success strategy of the function, driving innovation and continuous improvement in legal practices.
• Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations, leading the adoption of cutting-edge legal technologies and best practices.
• Manage legal risks and safeguard PayPal's legal interests, developing forward-looking risk management strategies.
• Collaborate with other legal and compliance teams, and other cross-functional groups to support initiatives globally.
• Provide key inputs as an industry leader and expert, staying ahead of legal trends and influencing industry standards.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 12+ years relevant experience and a Juris doctorate degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.

Job Summary:

 Lead the Employment Law function across the Americas, setting strategy and direction in alignment with enterprise priorities.

•  Serve as the primary employment law advisor to senior executives and regional leadership teams.

•  Provide strategic, solution-oriented advice on high-impact workforce matters, including executive issues, enterprise reorganizations, reductions in force, workforce transformation, and cross-border initiatives.

• Advise on workforce liabilities, executive agreements, restrictive covenants, litigation exposure, compliance gaps, and cultural or operational risks in region.

•  Anticipate legal, regulatory, financial, and reputational risks across the region and proactively shape mitigation strategies.

•  Set legal strategy for employment litigation and agency matters across the Americas.

•  Provide executive-level briefings that clearly articulate risk exposure, options, and recommended paths forward.

Additional Responsibilities & Preferred Qualifications:

•  Extensive employment law expertise across U.S. and broader Americas jurisdictions.

•  Proven experience leading a regional employment law function in a complex, multinational organization.

•  Demonstrated ability to advise and influence senior executives on high-stakes, enterprise-level decisions.

•  Strong strategic thinking and the ability to connect legal risk to business impact.

•  Exceptional judgment in sensitive, high-visibility matters.

•  Experience managing complex litigation portfolios and regulatory agency matters.

•  Deep understanding of workforce governance, compliance frameworks, and investigation oversight.

•  Experience advising on the responsible and compliant use of artificial intelligence (AI) across the employment life cycle, including recruiting, hiring, performance management, investigations, workforce analytics, and separations.

•  Experience supporting enterprise-wide workforce initiatives, including strategic transformation efforts.

•  Knowledge of emerging AI and workplace technology risks, including bias, privacy, and regulatory compliance.

• Experience leading employment aspects of M&A transactions, including due diligence, integration, workforce harmonization, and risk mitigation.

•  Proven ability to identify and assess employment-related liabilities in transactional contexts and advise on enterprise risk exposure.

•  Strong executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to deliver concise and commercially grounded advice.

•  Ability to lead and develop legal talent.

•  Experience operating in fast-moving, highly regulated, and matrixed environments.

•  High integrity, discretion, and commitment to ethical leadership.

Subsidiary:

PayPal

Travel Percent:

0

-

The base pay for this role will depend on where you work and the relevant experience and expertise you bring. The expected range of pay for this role by location is:

Primary Location | Pay Range:

Chicago, Illinois | ($244,000.00 - $362,450.00 Annually)

Additional Location(s) | Pay Range:

San Jose, California | ($268,500.00 - $398,750.00 Annually)

Additional compensation for this role may include an annual performance bonus, equity, or other incentive compensation, as applicable.

PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. When making an application directly, we will never ask you to share passwords, one-time passcodes (OTP), or verification codes.  Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam. All communication regarding your application will come from official PayPal email domains. If you suspect fraudulent activity, please report it immediately.  To learn more about how to identify and avoid recruitment fraud please visit https://careers.pypl.com/contact-us. 

For the majority of employees, PayPal's balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.

Our Benefits:

At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset-you. That’s why we offer comprehensive, choice-based programs, to support all aspects of personal wellbeing—physical, emotional, and financial—delivering meaningful value where it matters most. We strive to create a flexible, balanced work culture with a holistic approach to benefits, including generous paid time off, healthcare coverage for you and your family, and resources to create financial security and support your mental health.

Who We Are:

Click Here to learn more about our culture and community.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion 

PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.  In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.  If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at [email protected].

Belonging at PayPal: 

Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please Join our Talent Community.

We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates. Please don’t hesitate to apply.