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Regulatory Counsel, EMEA

Airwallex· Regulatory & Compliance
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UK - London, NL - AmsterdamFull-timePosted 6mo ago

About the role

Regulatory Counsel for EMEA focusing on EU/EEA regulatory framework with UK payments regime experience desirable. Based in London or Amsterdam, supporting licensing, passporting, compliance, and cross-border product launches within a fast-growing fintech environment.

Responsibilities

  • Be responsible for handling regulatory legal issues relating to our business in EMEA, with a focus on EU/EEA markets, and for providing strategic advice to cross‑functional stakeholders relating to existing licences/registrations, passporting, branch structures and potential future licence applications in the region.
  • Monitor, report, and analyse trends and developments in payments and financial services regulation in Europe (e.g. PSD2/PSD3, EMI regimes, AML/CTF), 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 licence(s) in EMEA, including regulatory mapping, licensing/passporting advice and branch establishment analysis.
  • 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, ensuring high-quality, cost‑effective support aligned with Airwallex’s business drivers and risk appetite.
  • Leverage AI and other tooling to enhance the scale, efficiency and effectiveness of the Regulatory Legal team.
  • Provide legal advice on Airwallex’s regulatory compliance obligations with respect to ongoing regulatory compliance and submission of regulatory reports and filings in EMEA, partnering with the Regulatory Compliance team to support timely and accurate filings.
  • Support and, where appropriate, lead engagement with legislators and regulatory agencies in key EMEA markets, including licensing discussions, supervisory engagement, RFIs, inspections, thematic reviews and policy matters relevant to the business.

Qualifications

  • Qualified lawyer with around 6–8 years of relevant post‑qualification experience
  • 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.
  • A mix of private practice and in‑house experience is ideal but not mandatory.
  • Demonstrated success advising on regulatory matters and handling regulatory submissions, filings and regulatory strategy, ideally including direct engagement with EU and national regulators (e.g. central banks, financial supervisory authorities).
  • Deep knowledge of the European financial services regulatory environment, particularly as it relates to payments, remittance, FX, issuing and digital financial services.
  • Experience supporting expansion into new markets and launching new regulatory licences in the fintech, payments, or financial services sectors will be advantageous.
  • 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; additional European languages are an advantage.
  • 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.
  • Experience using, deploying or developing RegTech, LegalTech or AI tools to enhance the legal function is ideal but not mandatory.
Last updated Oct 7, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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About Airwallex

Trusted Global Payments & Financial Platform

Grow your business faster with Airwallex - global business accounts, high speed transfers, multi-currency cards, online payments, embedded finance, and more.

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