Head of Legal, Compliance

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary legal advisor to the Executive Team and Board on global corporate matters, including M&A, equity raises, and corporate governance.
• Lead, mentor, and scale a lean, high-performing legal and compliance function.
• Manage external counsel spend and relationships across different global territories (EMEA, APAC, and AMER).
• Oversee the drafting and negotiation of complex international MSAs, SLAs, and partnership agreements with global carriers and enterprise clients.
• Advise on intellectual property (IP) protection and licensing strategies for our proprietary software and API suites.
• Streamline the sales-legal lifecycle through the implementation of automated contract management tools.
• Navigate global telecommunications regulations (e.g., Ofcom in the UK, FCC in the US, and equivalent bodies globally) regarding messaging, voice, and numbering resources.
• Ensure the business remains compliant with evolving Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Content requirements to prevent platform fraud and phishing.
• Serve as (or oversee) the Data Protection Officer (DPO), ensuring strict adherence to UK GDPR, EU GDPR, and other global privacy frameworks (CCPA/CPRA, etc.).
• Work closely with the CTO to ensure Privacy by Design in product development and maintain robust data processing agreements (DPAs).
• Develop and enforce global compliance policies, including Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), and modern slavery statements.
• Manage any litigation, disputes, or regulatory inquiries, ensuring minimal brand and financial exposure.

Requirements

• Qualified Solicitor: Must be fully qualified to practice law in England & Wales, possessing substantial Post-Qualified Experience that demonstrates a deep understanding of legal principles and the ability to apply them effectively in complex B2B commercial contexts. Experience in managing high-value transactions, negotiating contracts, and providing strategic legal advice.
• Sector Expertise: Proven and demonstrable experience working within the CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service), SaaS (Software as a Service), or Telecommunications sectors is essential. Candidates should have a strong grasp of industry-specific regulations, regulators, challenges, and opportunities, enabling them to offer insightful and practical legal counsel tailored to these dynamic markets.
• You must understand the nuances of API-based services and global message routing, including the technical and regulatory intricacies involved in delivering seamless connectivity across the US and EU markets. Familiarity with cross-border global compliance requirements, data privacy laws, and telecommunications infrastructure will be critical to effectively support the business's international operations.
• Pragmatism: A pragmatic, "business-first" approach to law is required, focusing on finding innovative ways to facilitate positive outcomes and saying "yes" wherever possible through effective risk mitigation strategies. Rather than acting as a bottleneck, the ideal candidate will work collaboratively with commercial teams to enable growth while safeguarding the company's interests.
• Communication: Exceptional ability to distill complex legal jargon into clear, concise, and actionable business advice that can be readily understood and implemented by non-legal stakeholders. Strong interpersonal skills, including the capacity to influence decision-making and build trusted relationships across various teams and executive leadership, are essential.

ATS Optimization Keywords

Below are skills and terms extracted directly from this job posting to improve Applicant Tracking System (ATS) visibility.

Hard Skills

• M&A
• corporate governance
• contract negotiation
• intellectual property (IP) protection
• automated contract management
• data processing agreements (DPAs)
• Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC)
• Anti-Money Laundering (AML)
• compliance policies
• litigation management

Soft Skills

• leadership
• mentoring
• pragmatism
• communication
• interpersonal skills
• collaboration
• strategic legal advice
• risk mitigation
• influencing decision-making
• relationship building

Certifications & Qualifications

• Qualified Solicitor
• Post-Qualified Experience