Senior Legal Counsel (Payments, PSPs & EMIs)

Cyprus·LimassolHybridsenior

Legal & ComplianceCorporate Lawyer

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fintechmentoring

We are a leading trading platform that is ambitiously expanding to the four corners of the globe. Our top-rated products have won prestigious industry awards for their cutting-edge technology and seamless client experience. We deliver only the best, so we are always in search of the best people to join our ever-growing talented team.

The Senior Legal Counsel (Payments, PSPs & EMIs) leads licensing and regulatory initiatives across payment services and e-money frameworks, taking full project ownership of licence applications, regulatory submissions, and ongoing compliance obligations within these specialised domains. The role requires deep technical knowledge of payment regulation across multiple jurisdictions combined with the ability to work independently on complex, multi-workstream projects with minimal supervision. The ideal candidate is a commercially minded payments lawyer who exercises sound judgment on escalation, engages confidently with internal stakeholders and external advisors, and actively contributes to the development of junior colleagues.

Lead and manage full licensing projects for Payment Service Providers (PSPs), Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs), and related payment frameworks across multiple jurisdictions.
Own preparation and submission of licence applications, regulatory filings, and related documentation end-to-end.
Draft, review, and approve business plans, policies, manuals, governance documents, and internal procedures required for payment regulatory submissions.
Maintain structured documentation, trackers, and version control for all assigned projects.
Ensure payment-specific regulatory requirements are comprehensively mapped and consistently reflected in all application materials.
Conduct complex legal and regulatory analysis across payment services frameworks, including PSD2/PSD3, EMD2, and equivalent regimes in non-EU jurisdictions.
Identify regulatory risks, propose mitigation strategies, and escalate material issues to the Head of Licensing where required.
Interact with payment regulators where appropriate, subject to prior approval from Head of Licensing and/or CLO.
Provide strategic regulatory and compliance advice to internal stakeholders on payment-related matters, including scheme rules, agent/distributor arrangements, and passporting.
Review commercial agreements with payment regulatory implications, including acquiring agreements, payment processing contracts, and banking/settlement arrangements.
Assess new payment products and business model changes for licensing and regulatory impact, providing commercially grounded legal guidance.
Collaborate closely with Finance, Treasury, Product, and Operations teams to align payment licensing strategy with commercial and operational objectives.
Oversee and support work allocated to Legal Counsel(s), providing guidance, quality control, and mentorship.
Use AI tools responsibly to enhance drafting, research, and regulatory analysis, and promote adoption of structured AI workflows within the team.
Drive continuous improvement of licensing templates, trackers, and submission methodologies specific to the payments function.

Minimum 5 years PQE as a qualified lawyer; prior law firm or in-house experience in payments or fintech is strongly preferred.
Significant experience in payment services regulation, including PSP and/or EMI licensing across European or other major jurisdictions.
Deep knowledge of PSD2/PSD3, EMD2, and/or equivalent payment regulatory frameworks; familiarity with MENA, APAC, or other non-EU payment regimes is an advantage.
Demonstrated experience leading full licence applications across multiple jurisdictions independently.
Experience coordinating with external legal and compliance consultants and payment scheme representatives.
Strong drafting, regulatory interpretation, and analytical skills.
Commercially oriented, with a solid understanding of payment business models, settlement flows, and scheme obligations.
Proven ability to manage complex projects independently, including multi-workstream oversight.
Ability to delegate effectively and support junior team members.
Business-level English proficiency (B2/CEFR or above).
Intermediate to advanced AI literacy, with structured integration into daily workflows.