🌍 About the Company

The company is developing a regulated FinTech product focused on electronic money and payment services. The product is progressing through the EMI licensing process and preparing for operational launch.
Its next stage involves establishing the legal, regulatory, and commercial foundations required to enter the market and scale responsibly. This role provides substantial influence over how the legal function is built and how the product moves from licensing to day-to-day operations.

💼 About the Role

The company is looking for a full-time, fully dedicated Head of Legal to complete the legal workstream of the EMI licence application and lead the legal function after authorisation.
You will take ownership of regulatory legal matters, corporate governance, commercial agreements, product advice, and engagement with external counsel and regulatory stakeholders. As a senior leader, you will ensure that licensing commitments are translated into practical legal frameworks supporting the product’s go-to-market strategy and long-term development.

🔍 Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of the legal workstream required to complete the EMI licensing process;

• Prepare, review, and coordinate legal documentation, regulatory submissions, and responses to information requests;

• Advise senior leadership on Latvian and EU financial services legislation applicable to electronic money and payment services;

• Establish the legal governance framework, internal policies, delegated authorities, and decision-making processes required for launch;

• Lead legal engagement with the regulator, external counsel, advisers, auditors, banking partners, and other stakeholders;

• Draft, review, and negotiate agreements with customers, suppliers, payment partners, technology providers, and other counterparties;

• Provide legal guidance on product development, customer journeys, disclosures, terms and conditions, and market-entry decisions;

• Monitor regulatory developments and assess their impact on the product, operating model, and commercial strategy;

• Manage corporate governance processes, board documentation, legal registers, and ongoing statutory obligations;

• Build the internal legal function and select external legal support appropriate for the operational phase.

🎓 Requirements

• At least 5 years of legal experience within banking, payments, an EMI, a payment institution, or another EU-regulated financial services business;

• Previous hands-on involvement in an EMI, payment institution, banking, or comparable financial licence application;

• Strong knowledge of Latvian and EU financial services regulation, including electronic money and payment services requirements;

• Proven experience advising on corporate governance, commercial contracts, product development, and regulatory matters;

• Ability to take full ownership of the legal function during both licensing and operational stages;

• A law degree and the professional standing required to perform the role effectively in Latvia;

• Professional proficiency in Latvian and English;

• Residence in Latvia and availability for a full-time senior leadership role.

Nice to Have

• Experience taking a regulated FinTech or payments product from licensing through commercial launch;

• Direct experience communicating with Latvijas Banka or another EU financial regulator;

• Knowledge of PSD2, EMD2, AML, data protection, consumer protection, and outsourcing requirements;

• Experience building an internal legal function or managing external counsel across multiple jurisdictions.

🤝 Key Competencies

• Strong ownership of complex legal and regulatory workstreams;

• Sound judgement when balancing legal risk, regulatory expectations, and commercial priorities;

• Clear communication with regulators, board members, advisers, and business stakeholders;

• Ability to convert legislation and licensing commitments into workable policies and processes;

• Confident negotiation and practical problem-solving;

• Capacity to operate strategically while remaining hands-on during setup and launch.

✨ The Employer Offers

• A competitive salary of €5,000–€8,000 gross per month, based on experience;

• A permanent, full-time Head of Legal mandate extending beyond the licensing phase;

• Full ownership of the legal function throughout licensing, launch, and subsequent growth;

• A senior leadership role with direct influence over regulatory, product, and commercial decisions;

• The opportunity to design legal governance, contracting, and oversight frameworks from their foundations;

• Close collaboration with experienced finance, compliance, risk, payments, and regulatory professionals;

• Long-term career scope as the licensed product enters the market and expands its operations.
  

If you are ready to build and lead the legal function through authorization, market entry, and ongoing operations, apply to join the leadership team.