Commercial Counsel - Payments and Regulatory

About us This is an opportunity to join a well-established and fast-growing fintech business operating at the intersection of financial services, technology and SME finance. The business has provided billions of pounds in funding to tens of thousands of businesses and continues to expand its product offering across financial services. The legal team is lean, collaborative and highly regarded within the wider business, giving lawyers genuine ownership and direct access to senior stakeholders. The role The business is looking for a Commercial Legal Counsel to join its London-based legal team, reporting directly to the General Counsel. Around half of the role will focus on supporting an evolving credit card business, currently progressing through regulatory authorisation. Once launched, the role will provide significant scope to help develop and shape the product from both a legal and regulatory perspective, working closely with the Chief Payments Officer and senior leadership. The remainder of the role will provide broader exposure across the business and its newer ventures, including an M&A platform, credit-scoring product and insurance business. This is an opportunity for a commercially minded lawyer who wants to do more than interpret regulation. The successful candidate will be expected to understand the regulatory framework, assess risk pragmatically and work with the business to find practical ways forward. Key responsibilities

• Provide legal and regulatory advice across the credit card and wider payments business.
• Support the business through the development and launch of its credit card proposition.
• Advise on UK payments regulation, including the Payment Services Regulations (PSRs), Electronic Money Regulations (EMRs) and relevant FCA requirements.
• Work closely with the Chief Payments Officer and senior leadership on product development and regulatory matters.
• Provide practical, commercially focused advice on risk and regulatory requirements.
• Support a broad range of commercial and strategic initiatives across the wider business.
• Advise on matters relating to new ventures, including M&A, credit scoring and insurance.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the legal team and wider business.
• Help shape legal processes and approaches within a growing fintech environment. About you The business is looking for a UK-qualified lawyer with 3-5 years' PQE, with meaningful experience in payments regulation and a strong understanding of the cards and payments ecosystem. Relevant backgrounds could include fintech, payments, cards, digital banking, acquiring or payment infrastructure, SME lending, financial institutions with significant cards/payments exposure, or financial-regulatory private practice. The ideal candidate will bring:
• Strong knowledge of UK payments regulation and the FCA regulatory environment.
• A genuine understanding of the cards and payments ecosystem.
• The ability to translate complex regulation into practical commercial advice.
• A pragmatic, solutions-focused approach to legal risk.
• Confidence working directly with senior stakeholders and commercial teams.
• The ability to operate autonomously within a lean legal function.
• Strong commercial judgement and a willingness to engage with the underlying business problem rather than simply identify the legal issue.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to contribute positively to a small team. The culture is built around being Smart, Motivated and Humble, alongside a further core principle that forms part of the wider assessment process. What's in it for you
• £95,000–£115,000 base salary (based on experience level), plus options
• Direct reporting line to the General Counsel.
• Significant ownership within a small and experienced legal team.
• The opportunity to work directly with senior leadership and the Chief Payments Officer.
• A genuine opportunity to help shape a credit card product from a legal and regulatory perspective.
• Broad exposure across an expanding fintech and its newer ventures.
• A flexible approach to office attendance, with no fixed number of London days required.
• The opportunity to work in a business where legal is closely involved in commercial and product decision-making. How to Apply For a confidential chat, contact Andelize at andelize@heriotbrown.com