Legal and Governance Specialist

Swift; Leiden; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Inclusive culture

Job summary

Swift in Leiden, Netherlands, is seeking a senior legal and compliance professional to lead governance and regulatory activities. You will partner with internal teams to assess risks, implement controls, and ensure adherence to financial supervisory standards.

Requirements include a law degree, 5+ years of relevant experience, knowledge of KYC processes, and strong English communication. The role emphasizes detail, stakeholder engagement, and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Law degree or equivalent in legal/compliance field.
• At least 5 years of related working experience.
• Familiar with financial supervisory frameworks, Compliance / KYC processes.
• Knowledge of Swift’s role and products is a plus.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written).
• Strong attention to detail and effective communication with stakeholders.
• Ability to manage tasks in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide, within guidelines and policies, independent and specialist support to internal and external customers about legal and governance services and tools.
• Identify and evaluate the impact of risks, propose mitigations and controls, participate in risk assessments.
• Execute supporting legal and governance activities within fixed guidelines and policies.
• Draft new policies and processes within scope of responsibilities.
• Develop and maintain contacts with internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide horizontal training and awareness.
• Deliver and implement projects within defined budgets and deadlines.
• Coordinate and control maintenance of Legal department documentation.
• Support less experienced colleagues as back up.

Skills

Legal & Compliance

KYC processes

Attention to detail

English fluency

Team player

Education

Law degree

Business administration

Tools

Salesforce

SAP

PEGA

Confluence

JIRA

Job description

ABOUT US

We’re the world’s leading provider of secure financial messaging services, headquartered in Belgium. We are the way the world moves value – across borders, through cities and overseas. No other organisation can address the scale, precision, pace and trust that this demands, and we’re proud to support the global economy.

We’re unique too. We were established to find a better way for the global financial community to move value – a reliable, safe and secure approach that the community can trust, completely. We’re always striving to be better and are constantly evolving in an ever-changing landscape, without undermining that trust. Five decades on, our vibrant community reflects the complexity and diversity of the financial ecosystem. We innovate diligently, test exhaustively, then implement fast. In a connected and exciting era, our mission has never been more relevant. Swift now has a presence in 200+ countries and legal territories to serve a community of more than 12,000 banks and financial institutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide, within guidelines and policies, independent and specialist support to internal and external customers about legal and governance services and tools.
• Identify and evaluate the impact of risks, propose mitigations and controls, participate in risk assessments as part of the Legal & Compliance representation.
• Execute several supporting legal and governance activities, mainly on public affairs, compliance, regulatory affairs, board and oversight matters within fixed guidelines and policies.
• Demonstrate awareness of policies, processes and procedures and provide requirements for improvements where appropriate, and draft new policies and processes within the scope of responsibilities.
• Develop and maintain contacts with internal and external stakeholders (counsels/suppliers/lawyers/public administrations/regulators/etc) contacts to get a sound understanding of the company needs and procedures and to communicate accordingly.
• Provide horizontal training and awareness
• Deliver and implement projects in own area of responsibility within defined budgets, with challenging deadlines and requirements. Projects may involve input from other specialists from own or other division.
• Coordinate and control the maintenance of Legal department documentation and/or its own areas of expertise.
• Support less experienced colleagues and act as back up.

What You Need to Succeed

• Academic degree in law and/or business administration (preferably in compliance or legal)
• At least 5 years of related working experience
• Familiar with financial supervisory frameworks, Compliance / KYC processes
• Knowledge of financial markets and of Swift’s role and products are a plus
• Fluency in English (both spoken and written)
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to manage tasks in a fast-paced, high-volume environment with tight deadlines
• Experience with compliance tools and software (e.g., Salesforce, SAP, PEGA, Confluence, JIRA) is an advantage
• A team player - collaborative, engaged, service-minded, proactive, and able to support team objectives

What we offer

• We give you the freedom to be yourself. We are creating an environment of unique individuals – like you – with different perspectives on the financial industry and the world. A diverse and inclusive environment in which everyone’s voice counts and where you can reach your full potential.

We are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation related to accessibility during your application or interview, please contact [e-mail] or indicate this in your application.

Please note that this mailbox is not monitored for general recruitment enquiries and should only be used for accessibility or accommodation-related requests (for example related to vision, hearing or neurodiversity).

All requests are confidential and will not affect your candidacy.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Swift, we are dedicated to building a workplace where people can bring their full selves and ideas to the team, so if you are excited about this role, we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every single qualification.