Head of Legal

The role

You will own the company's UK regulatory build by managing FCA cryptoasset and e-money applications. You will act as the senior in-house legal counterpart to the regulator and handle commercial legal, consumer-facing legal, and UK employment matters.

What you will do

• Own FCA cryptoasset authorisation including perimeter analysis, application strategy, and RFI handling
• Own UK EMI application and sequencing
• Act as the senior in-house legal counterpart to the FCA
• Manage UK conduct perimeter including financial promotions, Consumer Duty, and the UK Travel Rule
• Handle post-authorisation readiness including governance and reporting
• Brief, direct, and quality-control UK external counsel
• Lead legal for international expansion and additional licence applications
• Draft and negotiate English-law B2B agreements
• Manage UK consumer-facing legal and disclosures
• Manage UK employment law and contractor arrangements

Required qualifications

• Qualified solicitor or barrister in England & Wales
• Typically 8+ years PQE
• Hands-on UK financial services regulatory experience including at least one FCA authorisation or variation of permission personally owned or materially led
• Direct, personal interaction with the FCA
• Crypto or digital-asset legal experience at licensed or established firms
• Cryptoasset, e-money or payments perimeter experience
• Ability to draft and negotiate English-law B2B fintech agreements independently
• Track record of owning regulatory outcomes
• Ability to take a clear position under pressure and translate legal risk into business options
• Comfort operating as a remote senior with no legal support structure
• Practical use of AI tools in legal drafting, research or review
• Fluent legal English to regulator-facing standard

Nice to have

• Previous Head of Legal, GC or senior counsel role at a UK-authorised EMI, PI or FCA-registered cryptoasset firm
• Experience of a firm moving from AML registration to full FSMA authorisation
• Involvement in industry working groups or trade association engagement on the new UK crypto regime
• SM&CR experience
• Knowledge of UK safeguarding and prudential requirements for e-money and payments
• Crown Dependency (Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man) or Australian regulatory exposure
• Card scheme legal experience, such as Visa/Mastercard rules and principal membership
• Experience building a legal or regulatory function in a jurisdiction from scratch

Benefits

• Direct reporting line to the CEO
• Ownership of the company's UK market entry
• Remote setup in the UK
• Flat structure and fast decisions
• Performance bonus linked to UK authorisation milestones

Before you apply

• Existing right to work in the UK
• Ability to attend regulator meetings in London as required

About the company

An established, profitable fintech operating at the intersection of crypto and traditional payments. The company runs a consumer on/off-ramp platform and a B2B infrastructure business.