EMEA Regulatory Counsel

Who we are

About Stripe

Stripe is a financial infrastructure platform for businesses. Millions of companies—from the world’s largest enterprises to the most ambitious startups—use Stripe to accept payments, grow their revenue, and accelerate new business opportunities. Our mission is to increase the GDP of the internet, and we have a staggering amount of work ahead. That means you have an unprecedented opportunity to put the global economy within everyone’s reach while doing the most important work of your career. We started operations in the UAE in 2021 as our first Middle East launch to provide UAE businesses of all sizes with the financial infrastructure they need to accept payments, manage operations, and grow their revenue globally.

About the team

The EMEA Regulatory Legal team is a team of legal counsel responsible for providing strategic guidance on Stripe’s financial regulatory obligations across EMEA. We are hiring our first team member based in the UAE to lead our work in the UAE and future expansion in the region. As a member of the team, you will tackle a diverse range of cutting-edge financial regulatory challenges on a daily basis. You will have the chance to influence new product development, interact with regulatory authorities shaping our industry, and help define Stripe’s policy positions. 

What you’ll do

We are seeking an experienced legal counsel with a passion for payments and fintech regulation. In this role, you’ll be a trusted advisor to our business, legal, policy, compliance and risk partners on applicable regulations. You’ll also work with internal stakeholders to engage regulators and policymakers on these issues to enable Stripe’s mission of helping businesses to grow and thrive. You will have the opportunity to contribute more broadly to other regulatory and legal matters as well. This is a full-time role for a candidate based in the UAE (based in-office) and will report to the Head of EMEA Regulatory Legal, based in Dublin.

Responsibilities

• Advise internal stakeholders on a wide range of regulatory issues with a focus on UAE
• Counsel Product Legal and Compliance teams on regulatory requirements for Stripe products to enable compliant product development and expansion 
• Support teams in developing policies and procedures and shape compliance programs to meet regulatory requirements
• Be a proactive partner and trusted advisor to cross-functional teams in EMEA                                                                             
• Monitor developments in financial regulations to provide proactive guidance on regulatory trends, risks, and opportunities
• Advise on advocacy in connection with contemplated and proposed laws, rules, and regulations
• Collaborate with business and legal teams across Stripe to address regulatory issues efficiently
• Identify and evaluate business and legal risks, and find creative ways to mitigate them while achieving business goals
• Develop and work with stakeholders on regulatory engagement strategies
• Maintain and contribute to internal legal resources and repositories, help refine our processes, create playbooks and provide training where necessary 

Who you are

We’re looking for someone who meets the minimum requirements to be considered for the role. If you meet these requirements, you are encouraged to apply. The preferred qualifications are a bonus, not a requirement.

Minimum requirements

• Minimum 6+ years experience practicing as a qualified lawyer in the UAE, with a focus on payments and fintech regulation
• Excellent skills in issue spotting, risk assessment, and problem-solving, particularly in ambiguous and/or complex situations
• Strong strategic thinking capabilities to enable business partners to make decisions that are grounded in a practical application of the law, technology, and business goals
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Integrity and sound judgment
• Ability to distill difficult and complex legal advice in a clear, convincing, and solutions-oriented manner to various stakeholders, including senior management to enable effective decision-making
• Capable of multitasking and working effectively and independently under pressure
• Able to make sound decisions in the face of complexity, ambiguity and imperfect information
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build consensus across myriad groups
• A collaborative team player who is willing to pitch in wherever needed in a dynamic, rapidly growing company
• Experience of working closely with financial regulators in the UAE and wider region - whether as a regulator, within a regulated firm or advising regulated clients

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in advising on financial regulation pertaining to money movement, crypto and a demonstrated interest in payments, fintech and innovative financial products
• Prior experience in payments, fintech, banking and familiarity with associated regulatory issues including licensing 
• Prior experience in advising on crypto legal issues and regulations
• Fluency in both Arabic and English (written and spoken), with the ability to draft, review, and negotiate legal documents and regulatory responses in both languages.
• Experience navigating both UAE onshore and offshore regulatory frameworks
• Experience advising on market entry and licensing requirements across the wider MENA region 
• Proven ability to engage with and influence policymakers or industry bodies in the UAE on the development of new financial regulations.
• Prior experience in an in-house legal role at a high-growth technology company or a leading international financial institution