Legal Counsel (Netherlands or U.K)
External
Openfx · Netherlands (eu), London (uk)Prepare for this interview
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About the role
OpenFX is on a mission to move money as freely as data, unrestricted by time zones, banking hours, or legacy systems. We are building the infrastructure that will power the next generation of cross-border payment systems for institutions. The team's execution has been exceptional, and we're scaling at a remarkable pace. Our stellar early team comes with experience in companies like J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, FalconX, Paypal, Affirm, Polygon, Kraken, Nium & others. We're backed by Accel, Lightspeed, NfX and other top-tier investors. Role Overview We're seeking an exceptional Legal Counsel to serve as a strategic partner and legal advisor across our business, with a particular focus on licensing (MiCAR / PSD2), financial product development and financial partnerships. This role combines the intellectual challenge of navigating cutting-edge financial technology with the opportunity to shape legal strategy in the early stages at a high-growth company. You'll work on some of the most complex and interesting problems at the intersection of cross-border payments, cryptocurrency, foreign exchange and technology-providing pragmatic, business-oriented counsel that enables rapid growth while managing risk effectively. The ideal candidate is a team player who is energized by a high-growth environment and translating complex legal requirements and legal ambiguity into clear, actionable strategies. You move quickly with sound judgment, and excel as a trusted senior advisor to product, engineering, compliance, and business teams.
Responsibilities
- Product Legal
- Advise product and engineering teams on the legal and regulatory aspects of product design, development, and launch, with a particular focus on payment and banking products
- Translate complex regulatory requirements into clear guidance that helps teams build compliant products while growing rapidly
- Regulatory & Licensing Strategy
- Partner closely with business teams and compliance to develop and execute licensing and market entry strategies across the EU and UK, as well as contributing to and overseeing license applications.
- Provide practical, forward-thinking regulatory guidance on the complex and evolving regulatory landscape for payments, money transmission, cryptocurrency, foreign exchange, and cross-border transactions across global markets, leveraging local counsel efficiently and effectively
- Identify potential regulatory risks and develop creative, pragmatic solutions to mitigate them while achieving business objectives
- Corporate & General Legal Matters
- Identify, assess, and develop mitigation strategies for legal and business risks across the organization
- Cross-Functional Partnership
- Serve as a strategic business partner to leadership, product, engineering, and growth teams
- Manage external counsel and consultants efficiently to support the business with cost-effective, high-quality legal services
- Build scalable legal processes and frameworks that support OpenFX's rapid growth
- Contribute to building a collaborative, high-performing legal function
Requirements
- 7+ years of legal working experience (in-house or private practice)
- Excellent academic credentials and a traineeship at a top-tier law firm.
- Experience advising fintechs and/or other financial institutions
- Strong knowledge of financial services regulations and payments regulations (including, in particular, MiCAR, PSD2, EMD, Dutch Financial Supervision Act and AML legislation)
- Proven ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice that appropriately balances risk with commercial objectives
- Experience working collaboratively with product, engineering, compliance, and business teams
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills combining creativity with meticulous attention to detail
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
- Self-starter who thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and takes ownership of work
- Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities and execute quickly
- What helps you stand out:
- Knowledge and experience with cryptocurrency and/or Banking as a Service (BaaS) products
- Startup or high-growth company experience
- Significant experience with international regulatory regimes and cross-border transactions
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