Legal & Compliance Senior Lead (Europe Only)

Posted 29 Days Ago
Be an Early Applicant
Hiring Remotely in Chicago, IL, USA
In-Office or Remote
Senior level
Artificial Intelligence • Information Technology • Software
The Role
Lead R2’s Dutch and Belgian legal and compliance work for its European fintech launch. Responsibilities include entity incorporation and governance, financing and partner contracts, licensing and payments advice, data protection, collections enforceability, banking onboarding, external counsel management, and regulatory compliance. The role partners with product, finance, compliance, and operations teams and supports future EU expansion. Dutch admission, Dutch and English fluency, fintech or financial-services experience, lending and GDPR expertise, and at least seven years’ PQE are required.
Summary Generated by Built In

At R2, we believe that small and medium businesses are the productive engine of society. Small and medium businesses (SMBs) make up over 90% of companies in Latin America, yet they face a trillion-dollar credit gap. Our mission is to unlock SMBs’ potential by providing financial solutions tailored to their needs. We are reimagining the financial infrastructure of Latin America, where SMBs’ financial needs are met without ever having to go to a bank.

R2 enables platforms across Latin America to embed financial services that SMBs can leverage, starting with revenue-based financing. We are a high-performing, close-knit team with talent from organizations such as Google, Amazon, Nubank, Uber, Capital One, Mercado Libre, Globant, and J.P. Morgan. 


We are entering a new phase of growth following a strategic investment from Ant International, focused on rapidly expanding our partner footprint, strengthening our credit and underwriting capabilities, and scaling operations across multiple markets. As part of this growth journey, eligible team members have the opportunity to participate in R2’s Phantom Share Program, a performance-based incentive designed to align our team with the company’s long-term success and value creation. We believe in building a culture of ownership, where those who help create value share meaningfully in it.

We are looking for a senior, Dutch-qualified lawyer to lead R2's legal and compliance work for the European launch as a Legal & Compliance Senior Lead (IC5). This is a high-ownership role for someone who can act as R2's on-the-ground legal owner for the Netherlands and, supported by external counsel, Belgium, working directly with the group Head of Legal and Compliance.


What You'll Do

  • Own the Dutch and, in parallel, supported by sufficient external local advisory, Belgian legal and regulatory workstreams for R2's launch, from entity incorporation through to a fully operational state.
  • Lead entity setup and governance: articles of association (statuten), notarial incorporation, KVK and UBO-register registration, and director and legal-representation requirements.
  • Localize, draft and negotiate R2's financing contracts, merchant terms, partner agreements and SEPA direct-debit mandates under Dutch and Belgian law.
  • Instruct and manage external Dutch and Belgian counsel, turning their opinions into executed documents and a running compliance operation.
  • Advise on licensing perimeter, funding structure, the payments perimeter, collections enforceability, data protection and automated decision-making.
  • Manage corporate-banking onboarding and the SME-lending quality mark (keurmerk / Finankeur).
  • Partner closely with the product, compliance, finance and operations teams, and serve as the senior legal point of contact for the European business.
  • Support R2's expansion into further EU markets over time.
  • Nice to have, not required: Own the operational Wwft / AML function: CDD design, third-party reliance arrangements, prevention manuals, risk matrices, and interaction with supervisors.


Who You Are

  • At least ~7 years PQE, including significant in-house or top-tier law-firm experience in fintech or financial services.
  • Admitted to practice in the Netherlands (advocaat).
  • Full professional fluency in English is essential; you will work daily with the group's leadership and the Head of Legal in English. Dutch is required for local practice, regulators and counterparties.
  • Willingness and ability to advise on Belgian law supported by external counsel. 
  • Lending and GDPR experience.
  • Deep command of the relevant regulatory landscape and a genuine interest in fintech, financial inclusion and cross-border expansion.
  • Strong, precise drafting; comfort operating with autonomy and a high-ownership mindset; able to run multiple open matters and external counsel across two jurisdictions simultaneously.


Bonus

  • Dual qualification or strong Belgian experience.
  • Working-level Spanish and/or Portuguese given R2's Latin American base and French given the Belgian market.
  • Wwft / AML and payments experience.

What We Offer


  • The chance to join a high-impact, mission-driven fintech.
  • Ownership and impact in a fast-paced, growth-oriented startup.
  • Cross-functional collaboration with exceptional teams.
  • Exposure to complex regulatory challenges and innovation in embedded finance.


Locations: Netherlands / Western Europe, with responsibility for Belgium. Remote collaboration with teams across Latin America and group headquarters. 

Questions? Reach out at: [email protected]

Skills Required

  • At least approximately 7 years of post-qualified experience
  • Significant in-house or top-tier law-firm experience in fintech or financial services
  • Admitted to practice in the Netherlands as an advocaat
  • Full professional fluency in English
  • Professional Dutch proficiency for local practice, regulators, and counterparties
  • Willingness and ability to advise on Belgian law with external counsel support
  • Experience with lending and GDPR
  • Strong command of the relevant regulatory landscape
  • Strong and precise legal drafting skills
  • Ability to operate autonomously, manage multiple matters, and coordinate external counsel across two jurisdictions
  • Dual qualification or strong Belgian experience
  • Working-level Spanish or Portuguese
  • Working-level French
  • Wwft/AML and payments experience
Am I A Good Fit?
beta
Get Personalized Job Insights.
Our AI-powered fit analysis compares your resume with a job listing so you know if your skills & experience align.

The Company
HQ: Chicago, IL
91 Employees
Year Founded: 2020

What We Do

Through our embedded lending infrastructure, we enable platforms to offer capital to their customers in Latin America. R2 has partnered with some of the region's most iconic companies, including Rappi and Clip, to power their capital arms. We are backed by Gradient Ventures (Google's AI-focused fund), General Catalyst, Y Combinator, 166 2nd, Soma Capital, Femsa Ventures, PayU, and other global investors.

Similar Jobs

Rapid7 Logo Rapid7

Operations Analyst

Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • Information Technology • Sales • Security • Software • Cybersecurity
Remote or Hybrid
United States
2400 Employees
82K-110K Annually

CrowdStrike Logo CrowdStrike

Senior Full-stack Engineer

Cloud • Computer Vision • Information Technology • Sales • Security • Cybersecurity
Remote or Hybrid
USA
11000 Employees
140K-215K Annually

PNC Bank Logo PNC Bank

Technology Solution Center Analyst Lead

Machine Learning • Payments • Security • Software • Financial Services
Remote or Hybrid
USA
55000 Employees
41K-83K Annually

PNC Bank Logo PNC Bank

Consultant

Machine Learning • Payments • Security • Software • Financial Services
Remote or Hybrid
USA
55000 Employees
75K-150K Annually

Similar Companies Hiring

Revel Thumbnail
Aerospace • Hardware • Robotics • Software
Marina Del Rey, California
70 Employees
Blee Thumbnail
Artificial Intelligence • Marketing Tech • Software
New York, New York
30 Employees
Vega Thumbnail
Artificial Intelligence • Automotive • Insurance • Transportation
US
65 Employees

Sign up now Access later

Create Free Account

Please log in or sign up to report this job.

Create Free Account