Counsel - Regulatory (UK)

Kraken

3d • Remote

About The Position

Payward, the parent company behind Kraken and other financial infrastructure platforms, is seeking a Counsel - Regulatory (UK) to join its Regulatory Legal team. This role will focus on providing legal support for Payward's growing offerings in the UK, including cryptoasset regime compliance, and payments & e-money compliance. The team is described as a tight, experienced group of lawyers from diverse backgrounds who move fast, stay curious, and take pride in commercial accountability. The position is a fully remote role for a qualified lawyer in the UK.

Requirements

• Qualified lawyer (Solicitor/Barrister of England & Wales, or equivalent)
• 6+ years' post-qualification experience (PQE) in financial services regulatory law gained at a regulated financial services institution (e.g., a bank, payment institution, broker-dealer, exchange, or crypto services provider) or in a law firm/private practice supporting such clients, with demonstrated ability to independently own BAU regulatory workstreams
• Direct experience supporting regulator engagement with the FCA (or equivalent regulator), including notifications, information requests, and supervisory correspondence
• Substantive experience advising on the UK Cryptoasset Regime (i.e., FCA authorisation for regulated cryptoasset activities under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026)
• Substantive experience with e-money and payment services regulation in the UK, including account-access and open banking obligations
• Experience in AML/CTF (anti-money laundering / counter-terrorist financing), including advising on related policies, controls, and regulatory expectations
• Experience advising on outsourcing arrangements and operational resilience compliance (e.g., the FCA/PRA operational resilience regime)
• Outstanding analytical, drafting, and organisational skills with crisp, plain-English writing
• Ability to efficiently and confidently distill complex legal and regulatory issues into clear, actionable guidance for non-lawyer stakeholders
• Pragmatic, commercially accountable approach to legal and regulatory risk that prioritises providing stakeholders with a useful range of options and clear recommendations
• Comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy and owning a broad, fast-moving BAU workload from day one

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with the UK's onshored MiFID regime (as retained and modified under UK law, originally derived from EU MiFID II) and its application to investment services, including derivatives, equities, and emerging tokenised financial instruments
• Experience supporting change-of-control notifications or other regulatory aspects of corporate transactions
• An authentic interest in crypto and digital assets, and familiarity with Payward's and competitors' products

Responsibilities

• Provide legal support on cryptoasset, e-money and payment services regulatory requirements, including advising on account-access obligations and related operational compliance questions.
• Support the team's active licensing applications and other in-flight UK licensing or registration workstreams, including compiling application materials and coordinating with outside counsel.
• Provide regulatory support on corporate transactions and structural changes affecting UK entities (e.g., change-of-control notifications, corporate client migrations).
• Support the day-to-day relationship with regulators for our licensed entities.
• Translate complex regulatory frameworks (e.g., the UK Cryptoasset Regime, FCA rulebooks, AML/CTF, operational resilience requirements (e.g., the FCA/PRA regime), outsourcing requirements, and e-money and payment services regulation) into pragmatic, actionable guidance for the business.
• Foster a culture of clarity, favouring plain-English communication, measurable risk tradeoffs, and decision-ready recommendations.

Benefits

• The opportunity to operate as a practical legal generalist with focus on Product advice covering Payward's growing offerings in the UK (Krak card, payments and staking, among other things)
• Cryptoasset Regime Compliance (under the UK Cryptoasset Regime) — advising on regulatory obligations for CASPs including supporting on the steady flow of regulatory queries, notifications and supervisory correspondence that keeps our licensed entities compliant and our regulatory relationships strong
• Payments & e-money compliance — advising on regulatory obligations affecting our e-money and payment accounts and supporting related workstreams as they arise
• The company celebrates diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions, and unique perspectives.
• The company hires based on merit, seeking out people with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills for the job.
• Encouragement to apply for roles even if not fully meeting listed requirements, especially if passionate or knowledgeable about crypto.
• Potential for job-related skills or work-style assessments as part of the hiring process.
• Commitment to equal opportunity employment, prohibiting discrimination or harassment of any kind.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed