Senior legal executive leading Altery Group's global legal function. Develops legal strategy, ensures compliance with EU and international financial regulations, manages regulatory engagement, oversees corporate and commercial transactions, directs risk management and dispute resolution, and supervises external counsel and global legal teams to support the Group's expansion.
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 Altery 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.
Top Skills
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Altery London, England Office
Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom
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