Let’s get started
By clicking ‘Next’, I agree to the Terms of Service
and Privacy Policy, and consent to receive emails from Rise
Jobs / Job page
Director & Counsel, National Client Group (Retail) image - Rise Careers
Job details

Director & Counsel, National Client Group (Retail) - job 8 of 20

You Lead the Way. We’ve Got Your Back.

With the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. When you join Team Amex, you become part of a global and diverse community of colleagues with an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities and each other. Here, you’ll learn and grow as we help you create a career journey that’s unique and meaningful to you with benefits, programs, and flexibility that support you personally and professionally.

At American Express, you’ll be recognized for your contributions, leadership, and impact—every colleague has the opportunity to share in the company’s success. Together, we’ll win as a team, striving to uphold our company values and powerful backing promise to provide the world’s best customer experience every day. And we’ll do it with the utmost integrity, and in an environment where everyone is seen, heard and feels like they belong.

Join Team Amex and let's lead the way together.

How will you make an impact in this role?

The General Counsel’s organization at American Express is seeking a Director & Counsel to support National Client Group (NCG) teams within the Global Merchant Services business (GMS).  The successful candidate will provide strategic legal support and advice to NCG teams on policy, regulatory, transactional, and other matters related to merchant acceptance of the American Express Card. This role will involve broad collaboration and coordination within the business and with relevant stakeholders and will serve as a subject matter expert on industry rules and/or standards. The position will report to Vice President & Senior Counsel in the GMS practice group of the General Counsel’s Organization (GCO) of American Express.

The GMS business is a core business of American Express and fundamental to the operation of the American Express global payments network. GMS builds and maintains relationships with merchants that choose to accept the American Express Card and financial services companies who enable merchants to accept the Card, simultaneously delivering differentiated products and services and driving revenue growth for both merchants and American Express.  The GMS business is responsible for signing merchants to accept the Card, processing Card transactions, and providing marketing and other innovative programs and services to grow our merchant and Card acceptance relationships.

Role & Responsibilities

  • Provide primary legal support for NCG business teams managing key merchant relationships, working on a wide variety of matters such as commercial contracting, risk identification and mitigation, data issues, disputes handling, and new product offerings.
  • Draft, negotiate, and ensure execution of all types and aspects of commercial agreements relating to major national merchants, including complex Card acceptance agreements, working in close collaboration with the business and across the GCO.
  • Provide legal advice and strategic support to GMS business teams on legal and policy matters, business negotiations, marketing and information services, issues and programs, and regulatory and legal risks.
  • Coordinate with and support others in the GCO, Compliance, Operational Risk, and the business to ensure the most effective support and relevant expertise is applied to matters.
  • Participate in a small team of seasoned attorneys and legal managers offering thought leadership for cross-subject matter practice group issues and projects.
  • Support GMS Compliance and GMS OpsExcellence in a wide range of initiatives, from operational risk event responses to ongoing support of compliance monitoring and implementation.
  • Build and provide strong linkages across US and global teams to ensure consistency of approach and sharing of knowledge, best practices and current regional trends/developments.

Minimum Qualifications

  • J.D. with admission to practice law in the U.S.
  • 6+ years of relevant work experience in a law firm and/or in-house corporate legal environment.
  • Significant experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial agreements.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience in the payments industry and merchant acquiring space.
  • Strong project management and coordination skills.
  • Ability to communicate complex issues clearly and persuasively, in both oral and written format.
  • Excellent collaboration and teamwork skills and ability to work well in cross-functional team settings.
  •      Ability to manage and prioritize competing demands while maintaining high attention to detail and meeting deadlines.

Salary Range: $170,000.00 to $255,000.00 annually + bonus + equity (if applicable) + benefits

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we’ll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.

We back our colleagues and their loved ones with benefits and programs that support their holistic well-being. That means we prioritize their physical, financial, and mental health through each stage of life. Benefits include:

  • Competitive base salaries 
  • Bonus incentives 
  • 6% Company Match on retirement savings plan 
  • Free financial coaching and financial well-being support 
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits 
  • Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need 
  • 20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy 
  • Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location) 
  • Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program 
  • Career development and training opportunities

For a full list of Team Amex benefits, visit our Colleague Benefits Site.

American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law. American Express will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest or conviction records, in accordance with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including, but not limited to, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. For positions covered by federal and/or state banking regulations, American Express will comply with such regulations as it relates to the consideration of applicants with criminal convictions.

We back our colleagues with the support they need to thrive, professionally and personally. That's why we have Amex Flex, our enterprise working model that provides greater flexibility to colleagues while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in-person culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite, in a hybrid model (combination of in-office and virtual days) or fully virtually.

US Job Seekers - Click to view the “Know Your Rights” poster. If the link does not work, you may access the poster by copying and pasting the following URL in a new browser window: https://www.eeoc.gov/poster

American Express Glassdoor Company Review
4.2 Glassdoor star iconGlassdoor star iconGlassdoor star iconGlassdoor star icon Glassdoor star icon
American Express DE&I Review
4.4 Glassdoor star iconGlassdoor star iconGlassdoor star iconGlassdoor star icon Glassdoor star icon
CEO of American Express
American Express CEO photo
Stephen J Squeri
Approve of CEO

Average salary estimate

$212500 / YEARLY (est.)
min
max
$170000K
$255000K

If an employer mentions a salary or salary range on their job, we display it as an "Employer Estimate". If a job has no salary data, Rise displays an estimate if available.

Similar Jobs
Photo of the Rise User
Posted 21 hours ago
Inclusive & Diverse
Empathetic
Collaboration over Competition
Growth & Learning
Transparent & Candid
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Mental Health Resources
Life insurance
Disability Insurance
Child Care stipend
Employee Resource Groups
Learning & Development

Join American Express as an Analyst-Compliance to contribute to preventing financial crimes and ensuring regulatory compliance in a dynamic team environment.

Photo of the Rise User
American Express Remote New York, New York, United States
Posted 21 hours ago
Inclusive & Diverse
Empathetic
Collaboration over Competition
Growth & Learning
Transparent & Candid
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Mental Health Resources
Life insurance
Disability Insurance
Child Care stipend
Employee Resource Groups
Learning & Development

Join American Express as a Delivery Manager and play a pivotal role in leading cross-platform technology delivery in a dynamic and supportive environment.

Photo of the Rise User
Robinhood Remote Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Lake Mary, FL; US, Remote Zone 3; Westlake, TX
Posted 8 days ago
Inclusive & Diverse
Rise from Within
Mission Driven
Diversity of Opinions
Work/Life Harmony
Dare to be Different
Reward & Recognition
Fast-Paced
Maternity Leave
Paternity Leave
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Mental Health Resources
Life insurance
Disability Insurance
Health Savings Account (HSA)
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
401K Matching
Paid Holidays
Paid Sick Days
Paid Time-Off
Learning & Development
Social Gatherings

Join Robinhood as a Crypto Senior AML Investigator to lead the charge against financial crime in the rapidly evolving crypto space.

Photo of the Rise User
Posted 9 days ago

As a Contract Lawyer at Believe, you will play a key role in managing legal processes for catalog acquisitions while enjoying a remote work environment.

Photo of the Rise User
Posted 14 days ago

Join MLex as a Research Assistant in Brussels, where you'll conduct critical research in the fields of data protection and AI for an influential news organization.

Photo of the Rise User
Cogstate Remote United States
Posted 6 days ago

Join Cogstate as a Corporate Counsel to advance brain health with your legal expertise in a fully remote role.

Join a prestigious Am Law 100 firm as a mid-level Patent Agent and work on innovative technologies within a collaborative team.

Posted 7 days ago

Gilead is on the lookout for a strategic powerhouse to lead Corporate Affairs & Legal Communications, focusing on impactful storytelling and engagement.

Photo of the Rise User
Posted 11 days ago
Customer-Centric
Rapid Growth
Diversity of Opinions
Reward & Recognition
Friends Outside of Work
Inclusive & Diverse
Empathetic
Feedback Forward
Work/Life Harmony
Casual Dress Code
Startup Mindset
Collaboration over Competition
Fast-Paced
Growth & Learning
Open Door Policy
Rise from Within
Maternity Leave
Paternity Leave
Flex-Friendly
Family Coverage (Insurance)
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Mental Health Resources
Life insurance
Disability Insurance
Health Savings Account (HSA)
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
401K Matching
Paid Holidays
Paid Sick Days
Paid Time-Off

Join Young and White Law Office as an associate attorney to provide top-notch legal services while upholding our Midwestern values.

Photo of the Rise User
Prime Buchholz Remote Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States
Posted 8 days ago

Join Prime Buchholz as an Associate Counsel and play a key role in delivering legal solutions that support our strategic initiatives.

Photo of the Rise User
Posted 4 days ago

Join U.S. Bank as a Regulatory Change Management Attorney and leverage your legal expertise to impact financial decision-making in one of the nation's leading banks.

Join Travelers as a Counsel in Product Development and Coverage Analysis, where you will provide legal support in a dynamic and collaborative environment.

Photo of the Rise User
Posted 8 days ago

Join Ivanti as a Senior Compliance Analyst to ensure adherence to federal regulations and lead FedRAMP compliance efforts in a fully remote setting.

Photo of the Rise User
Airbnb Remote United States
Posted 7 days ago
Mission Driven
Collaboration over Competition
Inclusive & Diverse
Growth & Learning
Maternity Leave
Paternity Leave
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Mental Health Resources
Life insurance
Disability Insurance
Health Savings Account (HSA)
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
401K Matching
Paid Time-Off

Airbnb is seeking a pragmatic Senior Counsel, IP to lead trademark, copyright, and brand protection strategies for its global team.

Photo of the Rise User

Join the dynamic litigation team at Nelson Mullins as an experienced attorney focused on complex civil and commercial litigation in San Diego.

American Express is a multinational financial services corporation and global leader in providing personal, small business, and corporate credit cards.

4640 jobs
MATCH
Calculating your matching score...
BADGES
Badge Family FriendlyBadge Office VibesBadge Work&Life BalanceBadge Rapid Growth
CULTURE VALUES
Inclusive & Diverse
Empathetic
Collaboration over Competition
Growth & Learning
Transparent & Candid
BENEFITS & PERKS
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Mental Health Resources
Life insurance
Disability Insurance
Child Care stipend
Employee Resource Groups
Learning & Development
FUNDING
SENIORITY LEVEL REQUIREMENT
TEAM SIZE
EMPLOYMENT TYPE
Full-time, hybrid
DATE POSTED
April 22, 2025

Subscribe to Rise newsletter

Risa star 🔮 Hi, I'm Risa! Your AI
Career Copilot
Want to see a list of jobs tailored to
you, just ask me below!
LATEST ACTIVITY
Photo of the Rise User
Someone from OH, Cincinnati just viewed Finance Intern at Roche
Photo of the Rise User
Someone from OH, Cincinnati just viewed Personal Shopper - Sam's at Walmart
F
Someone from OH, Cincinnati just viewed CART - Captionist at Focus Interpreting
P
Someone from OH, Brecksville just viewed Verification Specialist at Planned Parenthood of Illinois
Photo of the Rise User
Someone from OH, Sheffield Lake just viewed Busser/Server Assistant at Chili's Grill and Bar
Photo of the Rise User
Someone from OH, Cincinnati just viewed Furniture Sales Representative at Furniture Fair
Photo of the Rise User
Someone from OH, Dayton just viewed Data Engineer | NDA at GT
Photo of the Rise User
Someone from OH, Dayton just viewed Data Engineer at Koddi
Photo of the Rise User
Someone from OH, Dayton just viewed Data Engineer at Launchpad Technologies
Photo of the Rise User
Someone from OH, Columbus just viewed Accounts Receivable Specialist at Brixio
Photo of the Rise User
Someone from OH, Cincinnati just viewed Training & Education Specialist at Finalsite
L
Someone from OH, Cincinnati just viewed Head of Performance Marketing (Remote) at Lavendo
O
Someone from OH, Cincinnati just viewed VP of Marketing at OnePlan Solutions
T
Someone from OH, Cincinnati just viewed Senior Director, Demand Generation at Typeface
Photo of the Rise User
Someone from OH, Cincinnati just viewed Marketing Analyst at Waymo
Photo of the Rise User
Someone from OH, Cincinnati just viewed Marketing Director at Nextdoor
Photo of the Rise User
Someone from OH, Cincinnati just viewed Director of Demand Generation at Relay