Regulatory Counsel, EMEA

You will be based in Lithuania, with responsibility for regulatory legal support across EMEA, with a particular focus on the EU/EEA regulatory framework and our activities supervised from Lithuania. This role will focus on advising on complex regulatory issues relating to payments services in Europe, including licensing, passporting, conduct and prudential requirements, and supporting cross-border product launches. You will support the build-out and maintenance of our licensing and registration portfolio in EMEA by advising on regulatory requirements, legal risk and licensing implications, and by partnering closely with Regulatory Compliance, Global Expansion & Licensing Strategy and other control functions. You will be a valuable member of the global legal and compliance team and will have the opportunity to support a rapidly growing business and the management team to navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.

Responsibilities

Handle regulatory legal issues relating to our business in EMEA, with a focus on EU/EEA markets, and provide strategic advice to cross-functional stakeholders relating to existing licences/registrations, passporting, branch structures and potential future licence applications; Monitor, report, and analyse trends and developments in payments and financial services regulation in Europe, actively identifying and anticipating changes that may impact business operations or strategic objectives; Partner closely with Product Legal, Regulatory Compliance, Risk and Financial Crime Compliance teams to advise on applicable EU, EEA and local laws and regulations, and to embed regulatory requirements into product design and operations; Support local and global Product, Strategy, and Management teams and regional Commercial teams on new market entry and expansion of regulatory licences in EMEA; Liaise with senior Airwallex stakeholders globally, providing timely, pragmatic regulatory legal advice and risk assessments on business initiatives impacting EMEA; Manage external legal counsel and consultants across EMEA; Leverage AI and other tooling to enhance the scale, efficiency and effectiveness of the Regulatory Legal team; Provide legal advice on regulatory compliance obligations and submission of regulatory reports and filings in EMEA; Support and, where appropriate, lead engagement with legislators and regulatory agencies in key EMEA markets

Requirements

Qualified lawyer with around 6–8 years of relevant post-qualification experience (P3 level); Strong regulatory experience gained in the fintech industry, reputable law firms and/or financial institutions, with a focus on EU/EEA financial services, payments, e-money, FX, remittances and/or card issuing; Demonstrated success advising on regulatory matters and handling regulatory submissions, filings and regulatory strategy, ideally including direct engagement with EU and national regulators; Deep knowledge of the European financial services regulatory environment, particularly as it relates to payments, remittance, FX, issuing and digital financial services; Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally and build trust with business, legal, compliance and external counsel stakeholders; Proactive, results-driven, and ownership-oriented, with a clear track record of managing multiple priorities and deadlines; Fluent in English, with strong drafting and negotiation skills; Ability to influence, explain complex legal topics to non-lawyers, and frame business-relevant solutions; Collaborative team player, embraces managing ambiguity, and thriving in fast-paced, evolving environments

Nice to have

A mix of private practice and in-house experience is ideal but not mandatory; Experience supporting expansion into new markets and launching new regulatory licences in the fintech, payments, or financial services sectors will be advantageous; Additional European languages including Lithuanian are an advantage; Experience using, deploying or developing RegTech, LegalTech or AI tools to enhance the legal function is ideal but not mandatory