Head of Legal

YouLend • Atlanta, GA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

YouLend is hiring a Head of Legal to lead the legal function for its rapidly scaling US business, based in the Atlanta office. This senior leadership role owns US legal strategy and serves as the principal legal adviser to the US leadership team, combining strategic leadership with hands-on legal work. The role has significant autonomy, direct access to senior leaders, and responsibility for shaping legal support as the business expands. The Head of Legal will work closely with YouLend’s established global Legal team and use external counsel support where needed.

The role covers legal matters related to scaling US operations, including strategic partnerships, financing products, financial services regulation, capital markets, corporate governance, transactions, risk management and disputes. The Head of Legal will build scalable legal processes and governance, manage US legal resources and external counsel, and advise teams across commercial, finance, product, technology and operations. The position requires a commercially minded legal leader who can balance legal and regulatory protection with business objectives in a fast-moving fintech environment.

Requirements

• US-qualified lawyer admitted to at least one US state bar; New York, California or Georgia admission is preferred.
• Ideally 8–12+ years of relevant legal experience, including substantial experience 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 and ability to balance legal and regulatory risk against business objectives.
• Confidence operating as the senior legal lead for a fast-growing US business and taking ownership of decisions and outcomes.
• Strong understanding of legal and regulatory considerations involved in 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 ability to thrive in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment.
• Genuine interest in fintech, embedded finance and SME financing.

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience as a Head of Legal, Deputy General Counsel, senior in-house counsel or equivalent legal leader in 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.

Responsibilities

• Lead the legal function for YouLend’s US business and own US legal strategy, priorities and delivery.
• Serve as principal legal adviser to the US leadership team and strategic partner to senior stakeholders across the wider group.
• Provide commercially focused legal guidance on strategic initiatives, business expansion, risk management and operational decisions.
• Identify, assess and manage legal risks while enabling efficient business execution.
• Develop scalable legal processes, governance frameworks, templates and playbooks for US growth.
• Manage and develop US legal resources, supervise Legal team members, and oversee external counsel relationships and budgets.
• Lead negotiations for major US commercial and strategic partnerships, including with e-commerce platforms and payment service providers.
• 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 with commercial, finance, product, technology and operations teams to structure and execute important transactions.
• Lead complex negotiations while balancing legal protection and commercial objectives.
• Advise on the development, structuring and expansion of YouLend’s US embedded financing products.
• Partner with product and commercial leadership on new product launches, market expansion and the evolution of the US financing offering.
• Advise on federal and state-level US financial services regulation relevant to SME financing, payments and embedded finance.
• Provide legal guidance on bank partnership structures, financing arrangements and related regulatory considerations.
• Work with internal teams and external advisers to assess regulatory developments and their implications for the US business.
• Support legally robust and 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 as the US business scales.

Benefits

• Healthcare coverage: YouLend covers 80% of health insurance premiums, with employees contributing 20%.
• Choice of five medical plans through UnitedHealthcare, including prescription drug coverage.
• Dental and vision insurance coverage.
• Dependent coverage options for employee-only, employee and spouse, employee and child, or family coverage.
• 401(k) employer match of $1 for every $1 contributed, up to 5% of salary.
• Basic life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.
• International travel insurance for work-related travel.
• 20 working days (four weeks) of paid time off plus US public holidays.
• Paid office parking.
• Compensation, bonuses and potential share option appreciation as long-term rewards.
• Career development opportunities.
• Senior leadership ownership, autonomy and exposure to business-critical decisions.

What This Job Offers

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