Chief Legal Officer

The Chief Legal Officer will lead the legal functions for PayFuture, advising the Co-founders on regulatory and legal matters.

In this role, you will oversee legal frameworks, manage external relationships with regulatory bodies, and provide strategic direction for legal matters. You will also lead a team, fostering a culture of legal accountability and support PayFuture’s rapid growth.

 This role is ideal for a seasoned legal executive with extensive experience in financial services and payments, who thrives in fast-paced environments and is ready to lead a global legal function.

As our Chief Legal Officer, you will have these main objectives:

Legal Leadership and Strategy:

• Lead the legal function of the company, providing strategic and day-to-day guidance on legal matters across multiple jurisdictions.

• Develop, implement, and maintain company-wide legal policies, governance frameworks, and best practices to support rapid growth and international expansion.

• Advise the Co-founders and senior management on all legal and regulatory matters, ensuring alignment with business strategies.

• Oversee corporate governance, contract negotiation, intellectual property, M&A activities, and other legal matters essential to the company’s operations and growth.

Regulatory and Legal Oversight:

• Demonstrate a strong understanding of EU Directives and apply this knowledge to ensure the company’s compliance with relevant legal and regulatory standards.
• Focus on Legal and Regulatory Compliance & Governance, excluding Operational Compliance, across all markets to ensure adherence to legal standards.
• Manage relationships with regulatory bodies in payments, e-money, and financial services to facilitate smooth business operations.

You will be a good fit if you:

• Are aligned with our values of Belief, Positivity, Accountability & Ownership, Execution and Speed
• Educational Background: A qualified lawyer with a university degree in Law. An LLM in International Banking and Financial Regulations is preferred, along with relevant professional qualifications.
• Experience Level: Minimum of 15 years of post-qualification experience as a legal professional, with a strong track record in financial services, payments, e-money, and banking.
• Regulatory Expertise: Holds an SMF16 & 17 role (UK FCA) with extensive experience managing relationships with European regulatory bodies.
• Knowledge of Financial Regulations: Possesses a deep understanding of financial regulations, particularly EU Directives (PSD2/PSRs, AMLD5/6), MLRs, and FTRs, with a focus on navigating complex regulatory environments.
• International Legal Expertise: Experienced in legal frameworks in the UK, EU, US, and APAC regions, with the ability to guide the company’s legal strategies across these jurisdictions.
• Leadership and Governance Focus: Proven experience in leading legal functions, with a specific emphasis on Legal and Regulatory Compliance & Governance, rather than Operational Compliance.

Skills and Competencies:

• Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to build and lead high-performance teams.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience advising senior executives and board members.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, able to work under pressure and make informed decisions.
• Proficient in legal and compliance tools (e.g., LexisNexis, WorldCheck, TruNarrative) and Microsoft Office suite.