Intern, Public Policy

The Public Policy Intern will support Pathward’s policy function on issues affecting the banking, payments, and financial technology sectors. This is a paid summer internship designed to provide exposure to how a national bank evaluates and responds to legislative and regulatory developments. 

Pathward operates at the intersection of banking, payments, and financial technology, and is also a leading U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development lender and participant in Small Business Administration (SBA) programs supporting small business and rural financing. The Public Policy function engages on issues including financial services regulation, payments policy, and bank–fintech partnerships. 

This is a remote position, with a preference for candidates based in the Washington, DC area or able to be in DC periodically, as the role may include occasional in-person engagement (e.g., meetings, events, or briefings). The internship is expected to run from June through August, with flexibility around start and end dates based on academic schedules. The role may be structured as full-time or part-time, depending on candidate availability, with an expectation of consistent weekday engagement during standard business hours (Eastern Time). 

• →Monitor and summarize federal legislative and regulatory activity relevant to financial services (e.g., banking, payments, digital assets)
• →Draft short internal memoranda analyzing policy developments and their potential business impact
• →Analyze how legislative and regulatory developments apply to specific business models, products, and partnerships, including identifying potential risks and considerations
• →Support preparation of internal briefings and materials for senior leadership
• →Conduct targeted research on financial services policy issues and industry trends
• →Assist with tracking stakeholder engagement across Congress, regulators, and industry groups 
• →Other duties as assigned.

• →Current law student (1L or 2L) or graduate student in public policy or a related field
• →Interest in financial services policy, banking, payments, or fintech
• →Strong written and verbal communication skills
• →Ability to analyze complex information and communicate it clearly
• →Experience with legal, policy, or regulatory research preferred 

The responsibilities listed above are not all inclusive and may be changed at any time.

Salary range:  $14 hourly – $23 hourly

Our commitment to inclusion is woven into our DNA. We believe that we are strongest when we embrace the voices of our employees, customers, partners, and the communities we serve. 

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, pregnancy, national origin, age (age 40 and over), disability, genetic information, marital status, hair texture or hairstyle, ancestry, service in the uniformed services, protected veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence or any other class protected by federal, state and local laws.

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Applications will be accepted for a minimum of 3 days after posting, and there is no predetermined date by which applications should be submitted.

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