Head of Legal

Department: Legal ( US)

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Atlanta

Description

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the legal function for YouLend’s US business, taking ownership of US legal strategy, priorities and delivery.
• Act as the principal legal adviser to the US leadership team and a trusted strategic partner to senior stakeholders across the wider group.
• Provide commercially focused legal guidance on strategic initiatives, business expansion, risk management and operational decision-making.
• Identify, assess and manage legal risks while enabling the business to execute efficiently and at pace.
• Develop and implement scalable legal processes, governance frameworks, templates and playbooks to support continued US growth.
• Manage and develop US legal resources, including supervising Legal team members and overseeing external counsel relationships and budgets.

• Lead legal negotiations for major US commercial and strategic partnerships, including with global e-commerce platforms, payment service providers and other key partners.
• Structure, draft and negotiate complex commercial, financing and partnership agreements.
• Advise on significant US transactions and strategic initiatives, including capital markets activities, restructurings, non-performing assets and corporate structuring.
• Work closely with commercial, finance, product, technology and operations teams to structure and execute commercially important transactions.
• Take ownership of complex negotiations, balancing legal protection with commercial objectives.

• Lead legal advice on the development, structuring and expansion of YouLend’s US embedded financing products.
• Partner with product and commercial leadership to support new product launches, market expansion and the evolution of YouLend’s US financing offering.
• Advise on US financial services regulation, including federal and state-level requirements relevant to SME financing, payments and embedded finance.
• Provide strategic legal guidance on bank partnership structures, financing arrangements and associated regulatory considerations.
• Work with relevant internal teams and external advisers to assess regulatory developments and their implications for YouLend’s US business.
• Support the development of legally robust, commercially scalable operating and financing structures.

• Oversee US corporate legal matters, including entity governance, group structuring and relevant corporate transactions.
• Advise senior leadership on material legal, regulatory and contractual risks.
• Support the management of disputes, contentious matters and other significant legal issues as required.
• Ensure appropriate legal oversight and governance arrangements are in place as the US business continues to scale.
  
  

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• US-qualified lawyer, with admission to at least one US state bar (New York, California or Georgia preferred).
• Ideally 8–12+ years of relevant legal experience, including substantial experience gained at a leading law firm and/or in a senior in-house legal role.
• Strong background in one or more of corporate transactions, financing, financial services, fintech, commercial partnerships or financial regulation.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex legal matters, manage high-value negotiations and advise senior business stakeholders.
• Excellent commercial judgment, with the ability to balance legal and regulatory risk against business objectives.
• Comfortable operating as the senior legal lead for a fast-growing US business, with the confidence to make decisions and take ownership of outcomes.
• Strong understanding of the legal and regulatory considerations associated with operating and scaling a US financial services or technology business.
• Ability to work strategically while remaining hands-on across a broad range of legal matters.
• Exceptional drafting, negotiation, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented approach and the ability to thrive in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment.
• Genuine interest in fintech, embedded finance and SME financing.
  
  

• Previous experience as a Head of Legal, Deputy General Counsel, senior in-house counsel or equivalent legal leader within a fintech, financial services, payments or technology business.
• Experience with US commercial financing, merchant cash advances, revenue-based financing or other alternative SME financing structures.
• Knowledge of US federal and state financial services regulation, bank partnership models and embedded finance.
• Experience advising on capital markets, structured finance, warehouse facilities or other funding arrangements.
• Cross-border transactional experience and experience working within an international legal function.
• Experience building or scaling a legal function, managing external counsel and developing legal team members.
  
  

Benefits

• Award-Winning Workplace: YouLend has been recognised as one of the Sunday Times' Best Places to Work in 2024, 2025 and 2026, reflecting our commitment to a supportive, diverse and rewarding workplace.
• Award-Winning Fintech: YouLend has been recognised by CNBC as one of the world's Top 250 Fintech Companies.
  
  

• We've developed powerful solutions, secured significant partnerships and are scaling rapidly across our markets.
• The global opportunity remains substantial, and our US business is at an exciting stage of expansion.
• As Head of Legal, you'll have the opportunity to make a tangible impact on the business, shape its legal strategy and help build the foundations for its next phase of growth.
  
  

• A high-growth business with meaningful opportunities for career development and long-term reward through compensation, bonuses and potential share option appreciation.
• Well-capitalised with supportive private equity backing.
• Part of Banking Circle Group, which includes a fully licensed Luxembourg bank, providing strong financial infrastructure and supporting international expansion.
• A senior leadership role with significant ownership, autonomy and exposure to business-critical decisions.
  
  

• A high-quality, ambitious team that challenges and supports one another through direct feedback and aligned incentives.
• A strong, transparent and collaborative culture where we have each other's backs.
• An independent working environment where ownership, accountability and results matter.
• A data-driven culture with an emphasis on speed, practical decision-making and minimal bureaucracy.
  
  

• Healthcare Coverage: YouLend covers 80% of health insurance premiums, with employees contributing 20%.
• Medical Insurance: Choice of five medical plans through UnitedHealthcare, including prescription drug coverage.
• Dental and Vision: Dental and vision insurance coverage.
• Dependent Coverage: Options for employee-only, employee and spouse, employee and child, or family coverage.
• Retirement: 401(k) employer match of $1 for every $1 contributed, up to 5% of salary.
• Life Insurance: Basic Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.
• Travel Insurance: International travel insurance for work-related travel. 
• Paid Time Off: 20 working days (four weeks) of PTO plus US public holidays.
• Office Parking: Paid office parking.