Director & Counsel, National Client Group (Retail) - job 16 of 20

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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.

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