Senior Legal Counsel, UAE Payments & Compliance

PayerMax; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

PayerMax seeks a seasoned legal lead to oversee the UAE entity and regional payments activities. You will manage the contract framework, guide cross-functional teams, and optimize legal risk across the payments lifecycle.

You will draft and negotiate core agreements with card schemes, acquiring banks, and large merchants, while ensuring regulatory alignment and governance. Fluent English and senior-level negotiation skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate law degree (LLB or equivalent) from a recognized institution.
• 10+ years of relevant legal experience in payments/fintech or licensed financial institutions, or law firms serving these industries.
• Familiarity with payments industry commercial logic and UAE financial-legal environment.
• Strong contract negotiation and drafting skills.
• English as working language for negotiation and drafting.
• Independent, commercially astute and culturally adept.

Responsibilities

• Act as central legal point of contact for the UAE payment business and lead UAE market's legal matters.
• Provide end-to-end legal support across card scheme onboarding, acquiring and merchant expansion.
• Review and negotiate onboarding, settlement and member/service-provider agreements with Mastercard, Visa, Amex and local schemes.
• Draft and maintain the Standard Merchant Agreement template; support bespoke negotiations with large merchants.
• Review banking service agreements; negotiate account and settlement agreements with local banks.
• Draft intra-group and related-party agreements; ensure regulatory and risk controls are in place.
• Handle corporate governance, shareholder/board resolutions and general commercial contracts.
• Provide contract review and risk flags to business, finance and operations; improve templates/workflows.
• Support Compliance with regulatory rules (CBUAE, AML/sanctions, PCI DSS) without filings.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Drafting contracts

Legal risk management

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory interpretation

English communication

Education

LLB or equivalent

Job description

PayerMax seeks a seasoned legal lead to oversee the UAE entity and regional payments activities. You will manage the contract framework, guide cross-functional teams, and optimize legal risk across the payments lifecycle.

You will draft and negotiate core agreements with card schemes, acquiring banks, and large merchants, while ensuring regulatory alignment and governance. Fluent English and senior-level negotiation skills are essential.