Ant international-Legal Counsel-EMEA

Ant International; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Ant Group in Abu Dhabi is seeking a high-calibre Legal Counsel with regulatory and commercial background to support our fast-growing EMEA team. You will advise on payments regulations, draft and negotiate cross-border agreements, and collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure compliant, customer-focused product launches.

The role demands strong PQE in financial services or corporate law, excellent leadership and project management, and the ability to work autonomously in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor (UK/European) with financial services or corporate law experience.
• Experience providing legal and regulatory advice and drafting/negotiating commercial agreements in fintech/financial services.
• Strong communication skills, ownership mindset, and ability to interact with diverse stakeholders.
• Proactive in following developments in global payments and fintech.
• Strong project management and ability to prioritise multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work autonomously.

Responsibilities

• Understand and translate directives, laws, and regulations for payment networks and PSPs into business language.
• Interact with internal stakeholders across global teams in a multicultural environment.
• Provide clear, timely legal advice on products and features to meet regulatory requirements and customer needs.
• Advise on product structure and draft/negotiate contracts with internal and external parties.
• Act as a trusted adviser to management on regulatory matters across the EMEA region, coordinating with compliance, AML, and data privacy teams.
• Identify productivity improvements and drive process changes.

Skills

UK/European qualified solicitor

PQE 6+ years

Regulatory & commercial advice

Interpersonal communication

Project management

Autonomous work

Job description

Job description The role:

We are seeking a high calibre Legal Counsel with regulatory and commercial background to join our fast growing and dynamic legal team. You will work closely with all areas of the business and take a collaborative approach to solving complex legal challenges. We are part of a worldwide fintech company in fast expansion, that values its employees and is committed to organic professional growth. We are seeking a skilled lawyer willing to be part of, and bring value to, our business and growth in the EMEA region, with a particular focus on the Middle East.

About us:

We are a fast growing payment and technology business in EMEA. As part of the bigger Ant Group headquartered in China, we represent one of the key international hubs for Ant Group's international business in providing B2B and B2C payment and product solutions to global and local fintech players, banks, merchants, users and alike. Our key business lines in EMEA include partnering with strategic fintech players, merchant/card acquirers, financial institutions, strategic global merchants, SMEs in order to provide top-notch online and offline payment solutions.

You will be expected to:

• Understand and translate into business-friendly language the directives, laws, and regulations that apply to payment networks, payment schemes, payment service providers and other participants in the payments industry.
• Work in a muti-cultural environment, being demanded to interact with internal stakeholders across the entire globe.
• Provide clear, timely and actionable legal advice to cross-border and cross-functional stakeholders on products and features being developed and launched by peer e-money/payment institutions to ensure we comply with relevant regulatory requirements whilst meeting our customers' needs.
• Advise on product structure and draft/negotiate contracts with internal stakeholders and external counterparts.
• Act as a trusted adviser to management on key regulatory matters impacting the business across the EMEA region, including working closely with subject matter experts in compliance, AML, data privacy.
• Identify productivity improvements and help deliver process change.
• Act as a strategic business partner and help the business continue to expand internationally; researching and evaluating new territories and providing creative, proactive and results-oriented advice.

Job Requirement

Job Requirement Skills, qualities and experience required

• Qualified solicitor (UK/European qualified) with at least 6 years PQE in financial services or commercial/corporate law in either a law firm or in-house legal position.
• Experience in providing legal and regulatory advice and drafting and negotiating commercial agreements in the financial services and/or corporate industry, with technology background preferred.
• Strong interpersonal, organisational, and verbal and written communication skills with the ability to explain complex issues.
• Strong sense of ownership for supporting business' commercial objectives, and interest in actively following business and technological developments relating to the global payment and fintech industry.
• Strong project management skill, ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work autonomously.