Director, Legal (Banking and Payments)

About Wealthsimple

Wealthsimple is on a mission to help everyone achieve financial freedom by reimagining what it means to manage your money. Using smart technology, we take financial services that are often confusing, opaque and expensive and make them transparent and low-cost for everyone. We’re the largest fintech company in Canada, with over 4 million users who trust us with more than $70 billion in assets.

Our teams ship often and make an impact with groundbreaking ideas. We're looking for talented people who keep it simple and value collaboration and humility as we continue to create inclusive and high-performing teams where people can be inspired to do their best work.

About the Role

Wealthsimple is looking for a Director, Legal (Commercial - Banking and Payments) to join our Legal team. Reporting to the Senior Director, Legal, you will lead legal support for the negotiation, implementation and ongoing management of commercial agreements supporting Wealthsimple’s banking and payments infrastructure. You’ll partner with cross-functional teams to identify and mitigate legal risks, with a focus on executing complex commercial agreements and supporting operational delivery.

Wealthsimple is building a new and novel neobank in Canada, with no existing blueprint to follow. We’re looking for an innovative thinker with strong commercial legal skills and an understanding of the payments and banking regulatory regimes, who can dream and then execute within Canada’s complex and overlapping banking, payments and securities law frameworks.

Opportunities in this Role

• Draft, review, and negotiate complex banking, payments, and commercial agreements, including with banks, processors, card networks, and infrastructure partners.
• Own contract drafting and risk allocation for a broad range of commercial relationships critical to Wealthsimple’s banking and payments infrastructure.
• Support resolution of legal issues related to commercial agreements, including disputes, renewals and compliance with contractual obligations.
• Partner with Regulatory and Product Counsel to ensure agreements align with Wealthsimple’s legal and regulatory obligations.
• Provide clear, actionable legal advice that balances commercial priorities with principled risk management.
• Resolve legal and contractual issues in existing commercial relationships, often with cross-border and multi-party considerations.
• Collaborate with Product, Compliance, Risk, and Finance to assess legal risks and develop strategies that enable growth and innovation.
• Use AI and other tools to streamline legal workflows, improve contract processes and build scalable systems.
• Contribute to the development of commercial templates, playbooks and best practices.

What You'll Bring

• 8+ years of legal experience in financial services, including a focus on technology contracts, gained at a major Canadian law firm or an in-house corporate legal department
• Experience with drafting and negotiating complex legal agreements used in banking and payments
• Familiarity with Canadian payments infrastructure, intermediaries and vendors
• Strong communication skills and ability to distill complex legal topics into clear, actionable advice for diverse audiences
• Collaborative and proactive mindset with a willingness to roll up your sleeves
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and evolving regulatory frameworks
• A strategic thinker with a builder mentality who thrives in a fast-moving, mission-driven environment.

Why Wealthsimple?

• 🤑 Competitive salary with top-tier health benefits and life insurance
• 📈 Retirement savings matching plan using Wealthsimple for Business
• 🌴 20 vacation days per year and unlimited sick and mental health days
• 📚 Up to $1,500 per year towards wellness and professional development budgets respectively
• 🛫 90 days away program: Employees can work internationally in eligible countries for up to 90 days per calendar year.