Head of Legal & DPO

About us:

BVNK provides modern payment infrastructure for businesses. We unify banks and blockchains in a single platform. With BVNK, businesses can send and receive stablecoin payments, convert between currencies, and add stablecoin payments to their checkout. Using our flexible platform, and robust global licensing and compliance expertise, innovators can launch new payment products quickly and compliantly.

We are a diverse team spread across the UK, Europe, South Africa, the US, and APAC, with a shared belief that all payment flows will interact with crypto in the coming decade, and BVNK will be at the forefront of this transformation of the financial system. We have raised $50M in Series B funding from top investors including Haun Ventures, Tiger Global, and Coinbase Ventures, and we're looking for smart, ambitious people to help us build the next generation of payments. 

We're incredibly honored to have made Newsweek's list of The Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces 2 years running (2023 and 2024) and to have been recognized by LinkedIn as one of the Top 20 Startups in the UK in 2024.

About this role in the team:

Reporting to the General Counsel (APAC & EMEA), the Head of Legal & DPO will assist the General Counsel in managing the global legal team by being responsible for managing members of the team in certain jurisdictions, ensuring compliance with Europe, UK and rest of world (excluding US) regulations and providing strategic legal advice to support the company's operations and growth. The position may also include compliance with data protection regulations, depending on the candidate’s experience.

Key Areas of Responsibilities:

• Drafting, reviewing, and advising internal stakeholders on various agreements, including third-party, operations, and marketing agreements.
• Negotiating with external counterparts on a variety of commercial agreements.
• Identifying and consulting on legal risks in connection with the development of new products.
• Interpreting and monitoring changes to regulatory guidelines while proactively handling regulatory developments and advising internal stakeholders.
• Liaising with specialist external counsel regarding new products, expansion into new market verticals, and areas related to compliance, privacy, or security.
• Developing and implementing processes for efficient and streamlined operations surrounding contract negotiation and processes.
• Developing and maintaining form agreements, contract management systems, and other databases.
• Serving as lead counsel on strategic deals, resolving issues that arise in existing commercial relationships, and handling pre-litigation legal disputes and inquiries.
• Driving ongoing compliance review processes, including necessary filings, policies, and procedures.
• Providing time-sensitive support on a wide array of legal inquiries related to the company's expansion operations.
• Develop and implement scalable legal processes to support the company’s global legal framework.
• Serve as the Data Protection Officer, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.

What we need from you:

• A master’s degree or equivalent in law.
• 7+ years of experience in a senior legal position.
• Excellent academic and law firm credentials.
• Fluency in English with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to maintain composure under pressure.
• A collaborative mindset.
• Confidence in making decisions where there’s ambiguity or incomplete information.
• Excellence in leadership while also being hands-on.
• Ability to handle significant and complex legal matters with short turnaround times.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills.
• Thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Passionate about the work being done.
• Data Protection Officer experience (Nice to have)

What you can expect from us:

• Fair and competitive salary at every stage of your growth
• Meaningful ownership in the business through our employee option scheme
• Flexible working hours, with hybrid working at its heart
• A culture built on passionate growth-minded people
• A flexible approach to holiday
• Opportunities to travel to our offices around the world
• An open and creative environment where you can help us define the future of BVNK, its culture, and its opportunity sets

At BVNK, we are focused on building a diverse and inclusive team. While you may not meet all of our requirements, we’d encourage you to apply if you meet the majority of our expectations. You may be a great fit for this role or another role in our team.