Senior Legal Counsel – US

About the role

We are looking for a US‑qualified Senior Legal Counsel to lead the legal strategy for YouLend’s rapidly scaling US business from our London headquarters. The role combines commercial partnership work, product structuring, capital markets, governance and regulatory matters, offering senior stakeholder exposure and ownership within a global fintech.

Key responsibilities

• Act as the primary legal business partner for YouLend’s US operations and lead negotiations with major e‑commerce platforms, payment service providers and strategic partners.
• Draft, negotiate and manage complex commercial and partnership agreements and advise product, tech, commercial, finance and operations teams.
• Provide guidance on US product, payments and SME financing structures, new product launches and the evolution of the US financing offering.
• Support strategic US matters such as capital markets, restructurings, non‑performing assets, group structuring and corporate governance.
• Advise on US regulatory issues, including state‑level considerations and bank partnership structures, and manage external US counsel.
• Develop scalable legal processes, templates and playbooks for the growing US business.

Required profile

• US‑qualified lawyer (NY or CA preferred) with at least 6 years post‑qualification experience in corporate, M&A, financing, fintech or regulatory work, preferably from a top law firm.
• Strong commercial instinct, experience with complex transactions and cross‑functional collaboration, and ability to balance legal rigour with commercial pragmatism.
• Excellent communication, drafting and negotiation skills, and comfort advising senior stakeholders.
• Nice‑to‑have experience in fintech, payments, embedded finance, SME financing, US financial regulation or cross‑border transactions.

What we offer

• Award‑winning legal team recognised by The Lawyer Awards and British Legal Awards.
• High‑growth environment with >100 % growth in 2022‑2023, offering bonus or share‑option upside.
• Comprehensive benefits: private medical and dental insurance, EAP, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, modern office in Central London, free gym, subsidised lunch, Deliveroo allowance, monthly in‑office masseuse, team socials and sports clubs.
• Supportive, diverse and data‑driven culture with transparent team dynamics and independent work environment.