Head of Legal and Compliance

Nelo is a leading consumer fintech and e-commerce platform in Mexico, with >$500MM in annualized GMV and >$80MM in annualized revenue. Our mission is to increase the buying power of consumers in Latin America, and we are doing so by building a modern alternative to credit cards. Nelo has raised over $40M of venture capital from investors including Homebrew, Two Sigma Ventures and Susa Ventures.

Nelo has additionally raised a $100M asset credit facility from Victory Park Capital. Our lean team includes experienced leaders from top technology companies including Uber, Amazon, Rappi, and DiDi. We pride ourselves on our velocity, intellectual rigor, and efficiency. Nelo has offices in Mexico City and New York City.

We are looking for a senior lawyer to serve as our Head of Legal and Compliance. This is a director-level position reporting to the VP of Finance, with full ownership of Nelo's legal and regulatory function. The ideal candidate comes from a top law firm or a fintech company where they handled corporate transactions, debt and equity financing, and financial regulatory matters. This is a generalist role by design: you will cover corporate, regulatory, product, commercial, and labor, and you will know when to bring in external counsel and how to manage them effectively.

The two most important pillars of this role are corporate transactions and regulatory compliance. Everything else you will oversee and coordinate, with support from specialized outside firms.

• Lead legal support for debt financing: term sheets, loan facility agreements, guarantee and security agreements, and trust structures for collateral perfection

• Amendments, waivers, and ongoing lender relationship management

• Hedging agreements and related documentation

• Equity rounds from term sheet through closing: shareholder agreements, board approvals, and cap table mechanics

• Corporate governance: board meetings, share conversions, capital increases, and subsidiary structuring

• Public debt issuance, including Certificados Bursatiles or similar instruments

• AML program ownership: policies, controls, SAR filing, and ongoing compliance with LFPIORPI and CNBV requirements

• Client-facing compliance: KYC, onboarding standards, and Condusef and Profeco regulatory interactions

• SOFOM regulatory compliance and ongoing reporting obligations

• Money Transmitter regulatory compliance and ongoing reporting obligations

• SPEI direct participation: legal and regulatory requirements for connecting to Banxico's instant payments network

• SOFIPO licensing process: regulatory strategy, application, and engagement with CNBV

• Data privacy compliance under LFPDPPP and evolving regulatory standards

• Product contracts, terms and conditions, and consumer-facing legal documentation

• Vendor and supplier agreements

• Marketplace legal framework: seller contracts, first-party contracts, and consignment agreements

• Offer letters and employment contracts

• Terminations and severance, in coordination with external labor counsel

• General labor law guidance, with specialized outside support as needed

• 8 or more years of legal experience, with meaningful time at a top-tier law firm or in-house at a fintech or financial institution

• Deep expertise in Mexican corporate law, debt and equity transactions, and financial regulatory frameworks

• Hands-on experience with CNBV, Banxico, Profeco, Condusef, or other Mexican financial regulators

• Familiarity with AML frameworks, SOFOM regulations, and ideally one or more licensing processes (Money Transmitter, SOFIPO, or similar)

• Comfortable managing outside counsel across multiple jurisdictions (MX or NY law) and practice areas: labor, tax, litigation, and specialized regulatory

• Able to assess legal risk pragmatically and give a clear point of view, not just options

• Strong written communication in both Spanish and English; many of our financing documents and investor relationships are in English

• You work at the pace of a startup: you prioritize, you move, and you do not wait for perfect information

• Full ownership of a critical function at a fast-growing fintech

• Direct exposure to founders, debt investors, equity investors, and regulators

• Competitive compensation and equity

• Medical and dental insurance

• Unlimited PTO

• Relocation support if applicable

• A high-performing team that values trust, speed, and outcomes