Senior Counsel / Counsel, Data & Privacy

Airwallex; London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Airwallex seeks an experienced Data and Privacy Legal Lawyer to join its London team. You will lead legal and regulatory matters related to data across EMEA, supporting innovative fintech products while ensuring compliance with regulations like GDPR. This role demands strong collaboration with technical teams and strategic problem-solving abilities.

Qualifications

• 6-10 years of experience in-house or private practice on data issues.
• Extensive experience with GDPR.
• Ability to explain complex legal concepts to non-legal audiences.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with teams to implement data regulations for EMEA.
• Develop compliance programs for applicable regimes.
• Support strategic data initiatives.

Skills

Data Privacy

Regulatory Compliance

Collaboration

Problem Solving

Education

UK or EU legal qualification

Job description

About Airwallex

Airwallex is the only unified payments and financial platform for global businesses. Powered by our unique combination of proprietary infrastructure and software, we empower over 150,000 businesses worldwide – including Brex, Rippling, Navan, Qantas, SHEIN and many more – with fully integrated solutions to manage everything from business accounts, payments, spend management and treasury, to embedded finance at a global scale.

Proudly founded in Melbourne, we have a team of over 1,700 of the brightest and most innovative people in tech across 26 offices around the globe. Valued at US$6.2 billion and backed by world-leading investors including Visa, Airtree, Blackbird, Sequoia, DST Global, Greenoaks, Salesforce Ventures, Lone Pine, and Square Peg, Airwallex is leading the charge in building the global payments and financial platform of the future. If you’re ready to do the most ambitious work of your career, join us.

About the team

The Legal, Risk & Compliance (LRC) team at Airwallex is a collaborative group of legal minds and risk management experts. We’re passionate about safeguarding Airwallex’s operations, fostering a culture of compliance and ethical conduct, and ensuring we navigate the global financial landscape with integrity. We provide expert guidance and support to all areas of the business, proactively identifying, mitigating, and managing legal and financial risks.

What you’ll do

Airwallex is looking for a seasoned data and privacy legal lawyer to join our Data & Privacy team. You will report to our US-based Data & Privacy team lead and be responsible for all data and privacy legal and regulatory matters (including AI-related) in EMEA. You will support a complex set of fintech products and an increasing array of AI tools that will challenge your problem solving and critical thinking skills. In addition, you will support Airwallex’s growing Sales team on data and privacy issues, and help us build for scale. With GDPR setting the global benchmark for data and privacy, your expertise and guidance will be crucial to our global operation and help drive our global data and privacy strategy.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with Engineering, Product, and Information Security teams to implement data and AI regulations for EMEA

• Develop and execute a comprehensive compliance programs for the applicable regimes

• Work closely with the Product Legal, Regulatory Legal and Regulatory Compliance teams on privacy-by-design, privacy impact assessments, and contractual support

• Lead or support privacy counseling and contractual assistance

• Coordinate international data flows for the broader Airwallex business

• Support strategic data initiatives, including data localisation, data storage, and global access controls

Who you are

We’re looking for people who meet the minimum qualifications for this role. The preferred qualifications are great to have, but are not mandatory.

Minimum qualifications:

• UK or EU legal qualification (or foreign equivalent)

• 6-10 years of experience in an in-house legal department and/or in private practice advising on data and privacy issues related to technical platforms and products

• Extensive experience with GDPR, with a solid understanding of other relevant regimes in EMEA

• Experience collaborating with technical teams (Product, Engineering, InfoSec) on developing technical implementations of data and privacy regulations

• Familiarity with emerging AI regulations

• Experience providing data and privacy advice and support during responses to security incidents

• The ability to explain complex legal concepts to various (often non-legal) audiences, and the ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects and deals

• A collaborative and empathetic mindset, a good sense of humor, and a keen understanding of how to work effectively with colleagues from different teams and backgrounds.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience advising on data and privacy issues related to financial services

• Familiarity with major data and privacy regimes in the Americas (particularly the US) and in APAC (particularly mainland China)

• Experience at a rapidly scaling fintech or other tech company

• Experience in a globally distributed company

Equal opportunity

Airwallex is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and anyone seeking employment at Airwallex is considered based on merit, qualifications, competence and talent. We don’t regard color, religion, race, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, citizenship, sex, marital or family status, disability, gender, or any other legally protected status when making our hiring decisions. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

Airwallex does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms/recruiters. Airwallex will not pay any fees to search firms/recruiters if a candidate is submitted by a search firm/recruiter unless an agreement has been entered into with respect to specific open position(s). Search firms/recruiters submitting resumes to Airwallex on an unsolicited basis shall be deemed to accept this condition, regardless of any other provision to the contrary.