Senior Counsel, EU/UK Product & Regulatory

Employment Type:

Location Type: Remote within the UK

Salary:

Position Overview

Marqeta is seeking a Senior Counsel, EU/UK Product & Regulatory who is passionate about payments technology and its potential for positive impact. This role is crucial for advancing our vision of modern money movement. You will lead high-profile, cross-functional initiatives addressing complex legal and regulatory issues related to managing risk for financial and payments products in the EU/UK and internationally. Additionally, you will provide legal advice and support for our international expansion efforts. The ideal candidate possesses strong business acumen, the ability to work independently and collaboratively with large, multi-stakeholder teams, sharp analytical and communication skills, diligence, organization, engagement, proactivity, and demonstrated excellent legal and business judgment and strategic thinking. You will report to the Assistant General Counsel overseeing international product and regulatory.

Marqeta operates on a Flexible First model, and this role can be performed remotely within the UK.

The Impact You'll Have

As a critical legal role based in the UK, this Senior Counsel position will involve a broad range of responsibilities. You will work in close partnership with cross-functional and geographically diverse teams to support the development and delivery of Marqeta’s payment products and services. We are looking for a subject matter expert and regulatory lawyer deeply engaged in helping us scale globally as we advance our vision of modern money movement.

Who You Are & Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead attorney for strategic, complex, and cross-border arrangements with Marqeta’s customers and partners within the UK/Europe.
• Provide timely, concise, and business-focused legal advice on payments law impacting Marqeta’s relationships in the UK/Europe and other regions.
• Partner with legal and business stakeholders to automate, scale, and continuously improve standard form agreements and legal processes.
• Possess deep and practical knowledge and expertise in international laws, rules, and regulations related to prepaid and debit products in various jurisdictions, with a primary focus on the UK and the EEA.
• Provide legal advice on payment laws, financial services regulations, data privacy, consumer protection, and enforcement actions for existing products and new features in covered jurisdictions.
• Assess legal risks, recommend mitigation strategies, and advise cross-functional stakeholders (product, engineering, risk, go-to-market, etc.) in connection with maintaining the integrity of the financial platform.
• Collaborate with and manage outside legal counsel.
• Be a team player and self-starter with drive and initiative.
• Demonstrate high integrity and great judgment while working across the organization.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Experience: 5-10 years of legal practice, either in-house or at a reputable law firm, with at least 3 years working in or advising companies in the payments, fintech, or financial services space.
• Payments Expertise: Proven high-calibre, solution-oriented, and proactive attorney with experience in the payments space, including experience with prepaid, debit, and credit card products in the UK and EEA.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Understanding of laws and regulations pertaining to financial services and technology, including:
  • Payment Services Directives
  • Anti-Money Laundering Directives
  • GDPR
  • Interchange Fee Regulations
  • EBA Guidelines
• Business Acumen: Solid business focus with practical risk awareness and the ability to balance legal risk mitigation against key business objectives and risks.
• Contractual Skills: Experience drafting and negotiating contracts for payments companies or financial institutions.
• Industry Familiarity: Familiarity with rules for card networks and other payment clearing systems.
• Technology Understanding: Understanding of payments technology, such as APIs, tokenization, digital wallets, and crypto.
• Project Management: A keen sense of ownership and the ability to independently drive complex projects to completion on tight timelines in a fast-paced environment.