Head of US Public Policy and Government Relations

Block is one company built from many blocks, all united by the same purpose of economic empowerment. The blocks that form our foundational teams — People, Finance, Counsel, Hardware, Information Security, Platform Infrastructure Engineering, and more — provide support and guidance at the corporate level. They work across business groups and around the globe, spanning time zones and disciplines to develop inclusive People policies, forecast finances, give legal counsel, safeguard systems, nurture new initiatives, and more. Every challenge creates possibilities, and we need different perspectives to see them all. Bring yours to Block.

The Role

Block is seeking a seasoned, strategic, and mission-driven leader to serve as Head of US Public Policy and Government Relations. This senior leadership role sits at the intersection of technology, financial services, and public advocacy, requiring deep policy expertise and the ability to articulate Block’s mission of economic empowerment.

In this role, you will lead Block’s engagement strategy with policymakers, regulators, trade associations, and other stakeholders across federal and state lobbying, regulatory affairs, policy development, partnerships, and data-driven storytelling. You will oversee a team and drive cross-functional efforts supporting Block’s portfolio of brands — including Square, Cash App, Afterpay, Tidal, Bitkey, Proto, and AI initiatives — while helping shape regulatory frameworks and innovative uses of AI to advance the company’s impact. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, you will serve on the Counsel leadership team and play a key role in ensuring Block’s purpose and expanding product ecosystem are effectively represented.

You Will

• Cultivate and guide Block’s public policy and government relations strategy across the US, advancing priorities that support our purpose of economic empowerment and the growth of our products.
• Identify and prioritize legislative and regulatory developments that affect Block's ecosystem — spanning payments, banking, digital assets, consumer protection, and financial inclusion — and position Block to influence them early.
• Translate Block's purpose into narratives that resonate with legislators, regulators, and the public: stories about sellers growing their businesses, unbanked consumers gaining financial agency, and the communities that benefit when innovation and access go hand in hand.
• Develop thought leadership content, policy papers, and advocacy materials that articulate Block's distinctive perspective on financial inclusion, the future of digital finance, and the role of responsible innovation.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior policymakers, government officials, congressional offices, key regulatory agencies (including FDIC, CFPB, OCC, FinCEN, SEC, NYDFS and other state equivalents), and relevant stakeholders. 
• Partner closely with legal, compliance, product, and communications teams to align policy strategy with business objectives, manage regulatory risk, and promote Block’s public mission narrative.public mission narrative.
• Design and execute advocacy strategies, including direct engagement, coalition building, and participation in legislative and regulatory processes.
• Oversee the development of policy materials and executive briefings, and support leadership engagement with external stakeholders.
• Manage a high-performing regional policy team, including external advisors, lobbyists, trade associations, and other partnerships.
• Be a thought leader for the Counsel leadership team, contributing to counsel strategy, company priorities, and team development.

You Have

• 15+ years public policy experience, with preference for experience in the US government and within the financial services and technology sectors.
• 10+ years of experience managing teams of policy professionals, including team budgeting, strategic planning, and career development.
• A strong background in advocacy and public policy development pertaining to global financial services issues and policies. 
• Strategic thinker with sound political instincts and the ability to identify where Block can have the most meaningful impact.
• Strong coalition-builder who can engage credibly across ideological and institutional lines.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and making judgment calls in fast-moving, high-stakes situations.
• Demonstrated success building and leading high-performing policy teams and managing complex, multi-stakeholder advocacy campaigns.
• Exceptional communicator — able to translate complex regulatory and technical concepts for a range of audiences, from legislators to journalists to product teams.
• Experience managing teams of policy professionals, including team budgeting, strategic planning, and career development.

We’re working to build a more inclusive economy where our customers have equal access to opportunity, and we strive to live by these same values in building our workplace. Block is an equal opportunity employer evaluating all employees and job applicants without regard to identity or any legally protected class. We will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment in accordance with state and local laws and “fair chance” ordinances.

We believe in being fair, and are committed to an inclusive interview experience, including providing reasonable accommodations to disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. We encourage applicants to share any needed accommodations with their recruiter, who will treat these requests as confidentially as possible. Want to learn more about what we’re doing to build a workplace that is fair and square? Check out our I+D page.

While there is no specific deadline to apply for this role, U.S. roles are typically open for an average of 55 days before being filled by a successful candidate. Please refer to the date listed at the top of this job page for when this role was first posted.