Sr. Counsel - Labor & Employment

Kraken; New York (NY); Remote; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Payward is seeking an experienced attorney to augment the Labor & Employment team, focusing on EU/UK matters for its global workforce. You will advise on worker classifications, separations, executive compensation, wage-and-hour issues, and data privacy compliance within European time zones.

You will collaborate with leadership and PX, develop L&E policies, support M&A-related workforce integration, and guide consultation obligations as Payward expands in Europe, while maintaining

Qualifications

• 8+ years of legal experience advising in the EU, UK and other jurisdictions on employment, labor, and executive compensation issues.
• In-house and law firm experience with high-growth and large-enterprise environments.
• Experience advising on works councils, collective consultation, and employee representative bodies in the EU/UK.
• Experience with GDPR and UK GDPR data privacy compliance.
• Ability to collaborate with executives, PX team, and outside counsel.
• Proficiency using AI tools in day-to-day legal work while protecting confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Provide EU/UK employment law expertise for recurring matters and complex issues.
• Lead works council and employee representative discussions as footprint expands.
• Advise on policy localization for EU/UK requirements and training delivery.
• Support M&A due diligence and post‑closing workforce integration.
• Manage data privacy, cross-border transfers, and privacy program alignment.
• Coordinate with global teams to align L&E strategy with business growth.

Skills

Labor & Employment

EU/UK Employment

Executive compensation

Data privacy

M&A due diligence

Policy drafting

Training & onboarding

Generative AI in legal work

Cross-border advisory

Tools

Generative AI tools

Job description

Building the Future of Open Finance

Payward - the parent company behind Kraken, NinjaTrader, Breakout, xStocks, Payward Services and CF Benchmarks - has spent the last 15 years building one of the most modern and globally accessible financial infrastructure platforms in the industry, built to advance an open, global financial system.

Before you apply, we encourage you to explore our culture page to understand what drives us and how we work.

Founded in 2011, Kraken is one of the world's longest-standing crypto platforms, trusted by over 10 million individuals and institutions across the globe. It offers spot trading, margin, futures, staking, and OTC services, with products built for both individual investors and institutional clients.

This is a fully remote role, for an EU- or UK-qualified attorney working out of the EU or the UK, to join Payward’s world class in‑house legal department, reporting to the Global Head of Labor & Employment.

The opportunity

• Augment the Labor & Employment (L&E) legal team and act as the subject matter expert for the EU and UK, providing local‑law advice in European time zones and, as needed, supporting L&E matters in MENA and APAC in coordination with local counsel.
• Take first‑line ownership of recurring EU and UK employment matters, including worker classification issues, employee separations and employee relations, executive compensation agreements, and wage‑and‑hour matters.
• Work with executive leadership, existing employment counsel, and the Payward Experience (PX) team to develop the L&E practice for a rapidly growing global/worldwide workforce.
• Advise on and manage works council, collective consultation, pay transparency, and employee representative matters, and prepare the company for new consultation obligations as its European footprint grows, including in connection with restructurings and acquisitions.
• Support M&A due diligence and post‑closing workforce integration for European acquisitions, including policy harmonization and the related consultation requirements.
• Work closely with the PX team and business leaders to craft on‑point policies and procedures, including localizing global policies for EU and UK requirements and developing and delivering related training, for a successful global/worldwide workplace.
• Advise on employee and candidate data privacy issues, including GDPR and UK GDPR compliance and cross‑border transfers of HR and recruiting data.
• Support the PX team and existing counsel with workplace investigations, particularly in the EU and UK, potentially involving whistleblower allegations, discrimination allegations, and personnel performance issues.
• Provide expert strategic input to the business and recruiting teams on expanding Payward’s global footprint, including EOR, direct employment, and entity decisions in Europe, global mobility issues, and contingent workforce.
• Advise the company with risk mitigation for trade secret matters and restrictive covenants in the EU and UK.
• Manage and direct local outside counsel on formal local‑law opinions and pre‑litigation matters in the EU and UK and, as needed, MENA and APAC, while handling routine, repeatable advice in‑house.
• Monitor and advise on global L&E trends including those within the crypto industry to help the Company’s competitive adaptability, talent acquisition and retention, and workplace processes along with additional duties as required.
• Additional duties and responsibilities as assigned.

What you bring

8+ years of legal experience advising in the EU, UK and other jurisdictions on employment, labor, and executive compensation issues, including in‑house and law firm experience working with companies in both high‑growth scaling and mature, large‑enterprise environments.

Broad international labor and employment background.

Experience advising on works councils, collective consultation, and employee representative bodies in the EU and/or UK.

Experience advising on employee and candidate data privacy issues under the GDPR and UK GDPR.

Hands‑on proficiency using generative AI tools (such as Claude or ChatGPT) in day‑to‑day legal work, with sound judgment on verifying outputs against local law and protecting confidentiality, privilege, and personal data.

A proactive, entrepreneurial mindset, plus an opportunity‑making attitude, using the law to increase the company’s optionality, not decrease it.

Nice to haves

• Interest in the crypto industry / what our company is offering to the world and why
• Experience in fintech, crypto, or other regulated financial services industries
• Experience with MENA and/or APAC employment markets
• Experience with due diligence and advising on labor and employment issues in connection with acquisitions, including transfer‑of‑undertakings rules and post‑closing workforce integration

Our commitment

Payward is powered by people from around the world and we celebrate the diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions, and unique perspectives that everyone brings to the table. We hire based on merit, seeking out people with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills for the job. We encourage you to apply for roles where you don't fully meet the listed requirements, especially if you're passionate or knowledgeable about crypto. We may ask candidates to complete job‑related skills or work‑style assessments as part of our hiring process. These assessments evaluate competencies relevant to the role and are applied consistently across candidates for similar positions. Results are considered alongside experience and interviews, and are not the sole basis for any employment decision.

As an equal opportunity employer, we don't tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind, whether based on race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Applicants are permitted to redact or remove information on their resume that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

Unless a specific application deadline is stated in the job posting, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

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