Head of Legal - North America

EML; Leawood (KS); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus scheme

Health insurance

401(k)

Hybrid work model

Extra annual leave

Birthday day off

Parental leave

Professional memberships

Job summary

EML Payments is seeking a commercially minded senior lawyer to lead legal for our North American business across the US and Canada. You will report to the Group General Counsel and sit on the NA leadership team as the principal legal advisor to regional leaders, helping unlock revenue growth and market expansion in a regulated payments environment.

This hands-on role includes broad decision-making authority, company secretarial duties for NA entities, and serving as a Director on many of them,

Qualifications

• A law degree and active licence to practise in at least one US jurisdiction.
• Typically 15+ years in commercial and corporate legal roles, ideally in fintech, payments, financial services, or another regulated industry.
• Solid knowledge of US regulatory frameworks for payments, prepaid products, and financial services.
• Significant experience negotiating complex commercial, partnership, technology, and payments agreements.
• A track record of partnering with commercial and product teams to structure deals and accelerate execution.
• Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to turn legal risk into clear, pragmatic advice for executives.
• Experience leading and developing legal teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and confidence in leadership forums.

Responsibilities

• Enable commercial growth. Act as primary legal advisor to the North American commercial teams and draft/negotiate complex agreements.
• Shape partnerships by negotiating vendor, technology, processing, and partnership agreements for NA and global initiatives.
• Navigate regulation by partnering with Risk and Compliance on US regulatory requirements.
• Advise on regulatory and contractual considerations from product development through launch.
• Lead governance with board materials, resolutions, and corporate records; support audits and regulator inquiries.
• Advise on people matters, HR policies and benefits compliance.
• Own disputes by managing contentious matters and external counsel with scope and cost control.
• Build capability by providing frameworks, tools, and training to focus legal work on high-value tasks.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Legal leadership

Negotiation

Strategic advisory

Written communication

Education

Law degree

Job description

EML Payments is a global payments company, headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. We build secure, instant payment solutions that connect our clients to their customers, wherever money is in motion. Our products include banking, credit and disbursement services, earned wage access, gifts, incentives and rewards, and FX solutions. We operate in more than 25 countries, we combine the energy of a start-up with deep leadership experience.

About The Role

We’re looking for a commercially minded senior lawyer to lead legal for our North American business across the US and Canada.

Reporting to our Group General Counsel, you’ll sit on the North American leadership team as the principal legal advisor to regional leaders. Your advice will help unlock revenue growth, market expansion, and new product launches in a highly regulated payments environment, while keeping us within our risk appetite.

This is a hands-on role embedded in the business. You’ll have broad decision-making authority, lead Company Secretarial activity for our North American entities, and serve as a Director of many of them. You’ll also be a senior member of the Group Legal leadership team, shaping global legal strategy and representing the North American perspective.

What You Will Do

• Enable commercial growth. Act as primary legal advisor to the North American commercial teams. Draft and negotiate complex customer, card program, and channel agreements.
• Shape key partnerships. Negotiate vendor, technology, processing, and partnership agreements, for North America and for key global initiatives.
• Navigate regulation. Partner with Risk and Compliance on US federal, state, and card-network requirements.
• Bring products to market. Advise on regulatory and contractual considerations from product development through launch, with scope to support global product initiatives.
• Lead governance. Oversee board materials, resolutions, and corporate records. Support audits, examinations, and regulator or partner inquiries.
• Advise on people matters. Guide HR on US employment law, investigations, policies, handbooks, and benefits compliance.
• Own disputes. Manage all contentious matters in the region and key global disputes. Instruct and manage external counsel, including scope, budget, and cost control.
• Build capability. Give the business frameworks, tools, and training so that legal time goes to the highest-value, most complex work.

What You Will Bring

• A law degree and an active licence to practise in at least one US jurisdiction
• Typically 15+ years in commercial and corporate legal roles, ideally in fintech, payments, financial services, or another regulated industry
• Solid knowledge of US regulatory frameworks for payments, prepaid products, and financial services
• Significant experience negotiating complex commercial, partnership, technology, and payments agreements
• A track record of partnering with commercial and product teams to structure deals and accelerate execution
• Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to turn legal risk into clear, pragmatic advice for executives
• Experience leading and developing legal teams
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and confidence in leadership forums

What We Offer

• Competitive salary benchmarked to the market, plus participation in the company bonus scheme
• Employer-provided health insurance and a 401(k)
• Flexible hybrid working
• Take 5 extra annual leave, a birthday day off, and two volunteer days a year
• Up to 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave
• Funding for professional memberships, certifications, and conferences
• A global team across Australia, the UK, North America, and Europe, with opportunities for international travel
• Exposure to cutting-edge, API-first payment technology and a real voice in product and process innovation

About EML

EML Payments is a global leader in the fintech space. Our mission is to create awesome, instant, and secure payment solutions that connect our customers to their customers, anytime, anywhere, wherever money is in motion. Our Purpose is to inspire transformative digital change for our customers and communities.

As an issuer and processor, we provide our clients and partners with innovative alternatives to traditional banking solutions for reloadable and non-reloadable programs.

Our commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity

Integrated into our Core Values is EML's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. EML is committed to being a globally inclusive company where all people are treated fairly, recognised for their individuality, promoted based on performance and empowered to reach their full potential. We are agile, we are innovative. We take a partnership approach; we tailor solutions and place a strong focus on operational excellence. Our place is one of collaboration, teamwork & innovation. But, above all, it’s one that embraces difference. And rather than have you blend in, we want to help you unleash your full potential.

Disclaimer

Offers are conditional on satisfactory pre-employment background screening, which may include a criminal record check. Any disclosures are assessed fairly and in line with local law.