We are hiring a Head of Legal (Fintech) to lead and scale the legal function across a growing fintech group.
This is a hands-on role combining deep fintech regulatory expertise, strong commercial execution, and the ability to build and refine legal infrastructure.
You will act as a bridge between regulation and execution, working directly across regulatory, contractual, and structural matters, while establishing the frameworks, processes, and standards required to support the company’s growth.
The role requires a pragmatic, business-oriented legal leader who is comfortable operating at both strategic and execution level, and can translate regulatory complexity into clear, commercially sound decisions.
What You Will Be Responsible For
Regulatory & Fintech Environment
- Apply fintech regulatory frameworks (FCA, EU, AML/KYC, safeguarding) to real business scenarios
- Integrate regulatory requirements into products, partnerships, and operations
- Support licensing processes and regulatory interactions where required
- Translate regulatory constraints into clear, practical, and commercially viable decisions
Commercial Contracting (Hands-On)
- Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of agreements, including:
- partnerships (incl. BIN sponsors, processors)
- merchant agreements
- SaaS and vendor contracts
- Advise on deal structure, risk allocation, and negotiation strategy
- Act as a business partner in commercial decision-making
Legal Function & Infrastructure
- Build and refine legal infrastructure:
- templates
- playbooks
- contract governance
- approval workflows
- Establish scalable legal processes that support business speed and consistency
- Introduce practical legal standards across the organisation
Business & Product Support
- Work closely with product, operations, finance, and commercial teams
- Support new product launches, partnerships, and market expansion
- Provide clear, actionable legal input embedded in day-to-day business decisions
Payments Ecosystem
- Support relationships and agreements involving:
- card schemes (Visa/Mastercard)
- BIN sponsors
- payment processors
- Advise on scheme rules, operational risk, and chargeback-related matters
Risk & Disputes
- Identify legal risks in business activities and propose practical mitigation approaches
- Support dispute resolution and manage external counsel where needed
- Apply a risk-based approach aligned with business priorities
Legal Tech & AI
- Introduce and use AI tools to improve legal efficiency and scalability
- Optimise contracting and internal legal workflows through technology
- Define where automation vs legal judgment is required
Requirements
Experience
- 8–12 years PQE
- Strong experience in fintech, payments, or financial services
- Hands-on exposure to regulatory environments (UK/EU)
- Proven experience in drafting and negotiating commercial agreements
- Experience building or scaling a legal function (or equivalent ownership)
Skills
- Strong commercial judgment and negotiation capability
- Ability to translate legal complexity into business decisions
- Structured thinking and ability to build systems and processes
- Ability to operate independently and manage multiple priorities
Mindset
- Pragmatic and business-oriented
- Hands-on and execution-focused
- Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, evolving environment
- High ownership and accountability
Nice to Have
- Experience with card schemes, BIN sponsors, or payment processors
- Multi-jurisdictional exposure beyond UK/EU
- Startup or scale-up experience
- Exposure to legal tech / AI tools
- Privacy certifications (e.g. CIPP/E)
What We Offer
- A pivotal Group-level leadership role ensuring legal and regulatory integrity across all entities.
- The opportunity to shape and scale the Group’s legal function in partnership with the CFO, CEO, and Board.
- Remote working flexibility with global impact and engagement across regulators, external counsel, and industry stakeholders.
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