Associate General Counsel, Regulatory Compliance

Cross River Company Overview

Legal Team Overview

Role Responsibilities:

• Provide clear and concise legal and regulatory advice and support to Bank management and all Bank business and control functions on all aspects of:
• General U.S. banking laws, regulations and related guidance
• Financial crime compliance laws and regulations (e.g., BSA/AML and OFAC sanctions)
• Supervision and enforcement matters
• Examination Management
• Third-party risk management
• Primary assistance to General Counsel on all matters pertaining to bank supervision, including safety & soundness and regulatory compliance examinations, and preparing and communicating management responses to related reports of examinations, supervisory letters, etc.
• Prepare, file, track, and manage all regulatory applications and notices, and work on post-approval integration matters relative to the application or notice.
• Engage with the Project Management Office to ensure timely execution against regulatory commitments and deliverables.
• Provide creative solutions to Compliance, Risk Management, BSA/AML, and Internal Audit functions and other business units, particularly on novel and complex legal issues to support growth and innovation, while advising and applying effective risk management techniques with respect to regulatory matters.
• Oversee and/or supervise attorneys to research and evaluate banking laws and regulations, guidance, interpretive letters, opinions, etc. in the context of assessing risk factors regarding business decisions, operations, and prepare corporate policies and practices.
• Oversee and supervise regulatory counsel in support of new product development and implementation, including drafting and negotiating regulatory compliance-related provisions in strategic Bank partnership agreements and other vendor and intercompany agreements.
• Manage regulatory counsel, including hiring, oversee workflow, provide constructive performance feedback, and track performance in consultation with Human Resources.
• Producing professional quality, efficient legal work product on bespoke projects involving multiple parties under demanding deadlines with appropriate autonomy in execution and delivery of work.
• Suggest new initiatives, including ideas for efficiencies and process improvements by regulatory counsel and ways of working with new product development and compliance teams.
• Instructing and interaction with external counsel, where appropriate, to promote high quality, cost-efficient external legal regulatory services.
• Monitoring and advising on the scope and impact of regulatory changes to all applicable bank laws, regulations and guidance (proposed and finalized) on internal policies, controls and compliance.

 Success Factors:

• Demonstrated regulatory compliance work experience at a financial institution or a fintech company.
• Demonstrated regulatory supervision and exam management experience at a financial institution or a fintech company.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to review and anticipate broader organizational impact(s)
• Ability to think “outside the box” in addressing novel issues and a willingness to learn new legal subject matter areas, as needed.
• Self-starter that likes to take on responsibility and committed to continuous improvement; upholds corporate values and displays integrity and high ethical standards.
• Proactively create trust with colleagues with consistent communication and collaborate effectively with multiple internal groups and foster and maintain strong relationships, partnering with other lawyers, risk and compliance partners and business colleagues at all levels to drive results.
• Good time management and prioritization skills, well organized, attention to detail, and able to effectively self-manage numerous several sensitive or urgent issues or projects simultaneously and produce professional quality work under tight deadlines with limited administrative support.
• Hybrid work model: three (3) day in-office requirement.

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctorate degree required, along with admission to a US State Bar
• 15+ years’ experience as an attorney (minimum of 8 years in regulatory compliance)
• Proven experience as a legal counsel in business environment
• Strong knowledge and experience with supervisory oversight by Federal banking regulators
• Knowledge of laws, rules & regulations applicable to financial services and consumer protection
• Demonstrated ability to act independently yet possess judgment to recognize when to escalate issues for review, guidance, and/or resolution
• Exhibit strong reasoning, market knowledge and decision-making skills in order to successfully lead projects, prepare and manage regulatory applications and notices
• Strong written and oral advocacy and corporate communication and interpersonal skills, including to interact effectively, and the ability and desire to build relationships with others
• Additional Preferred Qualifications that will be considered:
• Strong experience working in or with FDIC-regulated institutions and Bank/Financial Holding Companies
• Familiarity with the “FinTech partnership” model and the required risk management and oversight over a Bank’s third-party relationships and service providers, as well as with unsecured consumer finance products (such as marketplace lending)
• Working knowledge of Consumer compliance laws and regulations (e.g., TILA, UDAAP, fair lending, FCRA, etc.), Bank Holding Company laws and regulations (e.g., Regulation Y and Regulation W), and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)
• Familiarity with digital technology banking matters