PayPal
Senior Legal Counsel – Cybersecurity & Data Protection
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Senior Legal Counsel – Cybersecurity & Data Protection
PayPal
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—Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness—are the foundation for how we conduct business daily. Together, our values ensure that we work as one global team with our customers at the center, and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.
Job Summary
This role focuses on complex problem resolution and leads diverse, high-impact projects within PayPal. Responsibilities include determining methodologies for new challenges, driving global process improvements, and providing innovative legal strategies under risk-preserving principles.
Job Title
Senior Legal & Compliance Counsel – Cybersecurity and Data Protection
About the Role
Provide strategic, data-driven legal counsel across high-stakes business challenges while managing PayPal’s legal and regulatory risks. Collaborate closely with internal teams, external counsel, and business leaders to navigate complex incidents, compliance obligations, and evolving technologies, ensuring PayPal remains agile and compliant in a fast-paced environment.
Key Responsibilities
Core Legal & Strategic Functions
- Deliver clear, pragmatic, and solution-oriented legal advice tailored to empower PayPal’s business strategy, balancing innovation with expert risk management.
- Participate actively in complex problem resolution, providing expert legal guidance on high-stakes decisions, incidents, and disputes.
- Ensure full compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, NIST, SOC 2).
- Partner with business counterparts across the enterprise to align legal services with strategy, fostering trust and collaboration.
- Manage legal risks holistically, developing frameworks to mitigate vulnerabilities in emerging technologies and cross-border operations.
- Escalate complex issues to senior leadership as necessary to determine strategic next steps.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Data Security, Incident Response and Regulatory Support
- Lead from a legal perspective in managing data security incidents, integrating with the enterprise incident response program (including incident scoping, preserving privilege, identifying obligations, and coordinating teams under time constraints).
- Handle multijurisdictional cybersecurity incidents, ensuring compliance with notification deadlines and clear cross-border communication among regulatory, merchant, and consumer teams.
- Draft regulatory notifications meeting standards for ICO, EU supervisory authority, FCA, and U.S. agencies, with meticulous adherence to timelines.
- Serve as a cybersecurity subject matter expert, interpreting frameworks (e.g., NIST Cybersecurity Framework, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2) within the context of financial institutions.
- Assess digital ecosystems (including IT, web, mobile, and payment technologies) for their legal and data security implications, prioritizing innovations that protect data integrity and PayPal’s customers.
Project Management and Stakeholder Engagement
- Exhibit strong project management skills with a penchant for structured processes and deadlines, navigating multiple high-stakes priorities.
- Demonstrated agility in managing ambiguity—balancing quick decision-making with meticulous precision, even under tight deadlines.
- Foster collaborative leadership by maintaining a composed demeanor even during crises, relying on empathy and high emotional intelligence.
- Build cross-functional bridges via transparent communication, adapting to the unique needs of business units, legal, and compliance teams.
Minimum Qualifications
- 8+ years of relevant experience combining legal counsel, compliance, or incident response OR its equivalent through education, certifications, or leadership roles.
- Juris doctorate degree (JD) or international equivalent recognized by PayPal.
- Leadership experience managing high-impact legal projects requiring coordination with senior stakeholders.
- Solid understanding of data protection and cybersecurity laws, including potential differences in U.S., EU, and UK jurisdictions.
Preferred Qualifications
- Demonstrated hands-on experience managing data security incidents from a legal perspective, leveraging:
- Cross-functional teams, incident escalation processes, and priority acquisition of electronic evidence.
- Virtual examination room (VER) or internal investigation coordination.
- Collaboration with external counsel while preserving data integrity.
- Technical proficiency in multijurisdictional notification obligations, including conducting regulatory reporting aligned with:
- UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), EU supervision authorities, FCA, and U.S. regulatory paradigms (FTC, CFPB, CFPB).
- Deep knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks (e.g., NIST CSF, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA) as applied to payments and fintech environments.
- Hands-on technical awareness of emerging payment architectures, managed services, or digital platforms (especially web/mobile/IT ecosystem technologies).
- Fintech industry experience (though not mandatory), especially with an understanding of:
- Fraud prevention models, money laundering inspection compliance.
- Regulatory landscape (e.g., U.S. payments regulations, Banks Integration, disparate international financial laws).
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Travel & Location
- Travel Percent: 0% (Working model as hybrid)
Term & PayPal’s Employment Commitments
PayPal will never charge candidates for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. Fraud alerts:
- PayPal will never request shared passwords, one-time passcodes (OTP), or verification codes.
- All official application communications originate from PayPal email domains (e.g., keywords such as “@paypal.com” or similar; see full guidelines on careers.pypl.com/contact-us). Should you encounter a suspicious request, report it immediately to paypalglobaltalentacquisition@paypal.com.
Hybrid Work Model
For eligible roles, PayPal’s balanced hybrid model offers:
- 3 days in-office to foster in-person collaboration and team connection.
- 2 days remote at your option: PayPal offices or your preferred home workspace—blending the benefits of both locations.
Benefits at PayPal
Comprehensive Programs
PayPal’s mission—to enable an equitable, inclusive global economy—centers on you. In alignment with this commitment, we offer holistic benefits that support your physical well-being, emotionally resilience, and financial stability, carefully calibrated to provide real value:
- Advancing Inclusivity: Access to leading programs, including:
- Physical Wellbeing: Health insurance covering you and your dependents, pregnancy and maternal support.
- Mental Health: Dedicated counseling, mental wellness app integration, and general/substance use assistance.
- Financial Security: Assistance with debt management, educational salary support, relocation subsidies, and cash incentives.
- Flexible PTO and Cultural Emphasis: Prioritizing balance without compromise through a generous paid leave policy (including discretionary vacation followed by comprehensive sick leave).
Who We Are: Culture & Values
Explore PayPal’s culture and learn how we live our values via our Community page. At its core, we are dedicated to fostering belonging, inclusion, and innovation as shared cornerstones of our global workforce.
Equal Opportunity & Disability Accommodations
PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, pregnancy, trans status), age, national origin/citizenship status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military/veteran status, or status related to public assistance eligibility.
For qualified individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to access our application process, kindly reach out to paypalglobaltalentacquisition@paypal.com.
Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Why Your Background Matters at PayPal: While we grapple with imposter syndrome, we maybe hold you back. Our goal is to widen attention bars for all talents to showcase their capabilities. Your vision, experience, and perspective are integral for our aim to broaden and stimulate discussion.
Ready for more?
- Join our Talent Community to stay connected—*here.com**.
- See long-term impact at PlayPal and join us. It’s an opportunity to shine! For those with talent and experience targets, we can’t wait to hear from you. Let’s grow together.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills
Location