Head of Legal, Monese
+ Stock options
More information about location
3+ days a week in office (Marylebone, London)
Mobile-only digital banking alternative
Open for applications
Mobile-only digital banking alternative
101-200 employees
Open for applications
+ Stock options
More information about location
3+ days a week in office (Marylebone, London)
101-200 employees
Company mission
To make global banking accessible to everyone.
Role
Who you are
- The ideal candidate will bring strong drafting and negotiation skills, sound judgment, and a collaborative mindset, with the ability to work independently in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
- Qualified solicitor in England & Wales with 6-8 years PQE, including training in a top-tier private practice and preferably experience in an in-house role
- Proven experience within the financial services industry, with a strong understanding of regulatory frameworks, including the FCA and equivalent international bodies
- Exposure to the fintech sector, preferably within a startup or scale-up environment
- Expertise in technology contracts, IP law, and legal matters specific to payment processing and digital finance
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex negotiations and disputes, using sound judgment to balance commercial priorities with legal risk
- Conversant with European Law is a nice to have but not must have
- Core skills: Strong drafting and negotiation skills, excellent judgment and commercial awareness, ability to prioritise and manage a varied workload independently
- Regulatory knowledge: Familiarity with UK corporate law, GDPR, and outsourcing or financial regulatory frameworks is beneficial
- Communication: Able to communicate complex legal issues clearly to both legal and non-legal audiences
- Tools & processes: Comfortable working with contract lifecycle management tools, trackers, and legal documentation systems
What the job involves
- We are looking for a commercially minded and pragmatic Head of Legal to join the growing legal team supporting both Pockit and Monese
- This is a broad and dynamic role that spans corporate governance, commercial contracting, dispute resolution, and regulatory compliance
- You will act as a trusted advisor to stakeholders across the business, providing clear and practical legal guidance on a wide range of matters
- From negotiating technology and partnership agreements to supporting corporate structuring and engaging with regulators, you will play a key role in enabling strategic initiatives while managing legal risk
- Advice on group structure, intra-group arrangements, and corporate governance matters
- Draft and review shareholder resolutions, governance documentation, and corporate filings
- Support company secretarial processes and compliance with applicable laws and regulations
- Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements including SaaS, technology, procurement, and partnership contracts
- Advise stakeholders on contract terms, risk allocation, and negotiation strategy
- Support procurement and vendor management by identifying cost-saving or risk-mitigation opportunities in third-party contracts
- Maintain and update internal legal templates and playbooks
- Assist in the management of legal disputes, including pre-action correspondence, claims, and settlement negotiations
- Liaise with external counsel on contentious matters and litigation strategy
- Conduct legal research and prepare internal reports on potential liability or dispute resolution options
- Act as a Data Protection Officer (DPO), advising on compliance with applicable data protection laws, as well as relevant financial services regulations and outsourcing requirements
- Support the review of third-party contracts for regulatory risk and alignment with internal policies
- Assist with interactions with regulatory bodies and financial institutions, including legal aspects of KYC and ownership verification
- Act as a trusted legal partner to business teams across a wide range of legal and strategic matters
- Support cross-functional projects with legal insight and risk assessment
- Work closely with Finance, Compliance, Risk, and Operations to ensure legally sound business execution
- Advise on the development and launch of new products and services, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulatory frameworks
- Partner with technology, product, and operations teams to provide legal guidance on innovation, intellectual property (IP), and technology implementation agreements
- Enhance the company’s risk management framework by providing transactional support and guidance on legal and product-related issues
- Enhance the legal process and standard form agreements across all areas of the company for operational efficiency and risk control
- Lead on IP-related matters, including protection and enforcement of rights within the digital payment processing and broader fintech space
- Support M&A activities, including due diligence, negotiations, and post-transaction integration
- Advise on corporate transactions, equity fundraising, and other strategic initiatives to support the company’s growth
- Conduct legal research on emerging regulatory and industry developments to future-proof the business
- Ensuring up to date legal research and due diligence in regulatory issues impacting the business
- Assisting with the instruction and management of external legal counsel
- Provide support on non-contentious matters, such as corporate structuring and compliance with employment laws
Salary benchmarks
Our take
Most banks haven't innovated their consumer offering for decades, but in recent years the tide has been turning. Fast-moving disruptors have brought numerous consumer-first banking products to market, with valuable and innovative features - and one of these is Monese.
Monese's differentiator is that it targets customers with a ‘thin’ credit file, which makes it attractive to recent migrants or other customers that don’t have a full financial history. These people can find it cumbersome to apply for accounts with high street banks, but with Monese accounts can be opened in just 2 minutes with minimal documentation.
In 2023, the company launched its XYB banking platform, aiming to improve the way banks make financial services available for UK and European clients. The next year, Monese was acquired by Pockit (another business serving underbanked people). The companies remain in a transitionary period as the combination of their operations is finalised, both continuing to deliver their valuable services.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Funding (last 2 of 7 rounds)
Sep 2022
$35m
LATE VC
Sep 2021
$90m
SERIES C
Total funding: $209.1m
Company benefits
- 25 days annual leave, plus public holidays, plus an extra day every year worked
- Hybrid working and 30 days work abroad per year
- Sports compensation with Stebby or direct discount from a gym
- 10 paid sick days per year
- Learning & development budget and 10 paid learning days per annum
- VIP Pockit & Monese accounts
- Share options (exact details depending on your role and level)
- Social events throughout the year
- Bupa personal private healthcare
Company HQ
City of London, London, UK
Leadership
Virraj Jatania
(CEO (Pockit))CEO and Co-founder of Monese's parent company, who has been involved with leading the company since its acquisition in 2024. Previously worked for a multinational company in the cosmetics and personal care space.
Share this job