Product Counsel

About Us at GoCardless

GoCardless is a global bank payment company. Over 100,000 businesses, from start-ups to household names, use GoCardless to collect and send payments through direct debit, real-time payments and open banking. 

GoCardless processes US$130bn+ of payments annually, across 30+ countries; helping customers collect and send both recurring and one-off payments, without the chasing, stress or expensive fees. We use AI-powered solutions to improve payment success and reduce fraud. And, with open banking connectivity to over 2,500 banks, we help our customers make faster, more informed decisions.

We are headquartered in the UK with offices in London and Leeds, and additional locations in Australia, France, Ireland, Latvia, Portugal and the United States.

At GoCardless, we're all about supporting you! We’re committed to making our hiring process inclusive and accessible. If you need extra support or adjustments, reach out to your Talent Partner — we’re here to help! 

And remember: we don’t expect you to meet every single requirement. If you’re excited by this role, we encourage you to apply!

The role

As Product Counsel, you will closely work with our Product and Engineering teams and be a key part of the team helping GoCardless to build, launch and run compliant and exciting products and services that deliver a great customer experience.

What excites you

• Partner with product managers to advise on the legal and regulatory requirements relating to our products (with a focus on payments), ensuring GoCardless operates in accordance with the law and regulation. 
• Act as a thought leader and trusted adviser, educating and guiding teams to deepen their understanding of regulation and help shape product strategies.
• Balance regulatory requirements with a commercial mindset by crafting innovative solutions that manage risk effectively and achieve the best customer experience.
• Engage and collaborate with various stakeholders at GoCardless, including Regulatory Compliance, Financial Crime, Fraud, Global Payment Partnerships and Privacy and Security, on a range of issues relating to product development and product support.
• Simplify complex regulatory requirements into clear, actionable concepts that can be easily understood and effectively implemented across the business.
• Help develop and implement agile and scalable review processes for launch of new products and the global expansion of products and services.
• Stay informed on emerging legal and regulatory developments impacting our products, advising internal teams on necessary compliance steps and drafting or reviewing legal documentation, policies and procedures.

What excites us

• 3 -5  years of experience as a qualified lawyer in a top law firm, in-house legal team and/or government agency/regulator, with regulatory and product counselling experience to help translate complex legal requirements into clear and actionable advice that helps the business move forward.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to coordinate and prioritise multiple tasks and stakeholder requests.
• Experience in payments and regulatory financial services with a strong technology background.
• Experience with the regulatory regimes governing payments services and electronic money, including the Payment Services Regulations, conduct of business and licensing requirements and associated regulatory areas such as financial crimes, outsourcing, safeguarding and consumer protection.  
• A strong interest in technology and ability to grasp new technologies and understand complex product use cases quickly.
• Problem-solver, with an “anything is possible” mindset, who thrives in a fast paced environment, deals well with ambiguity and focuses on driving impact.
• Excellent judgement and capable of making smart decisions with imperfect information.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Transactional experience, contract drafting and strong project management skills highly desirable.

Base salary range: £90,000 - £110,000

Base salary ranges are based on role, job level, location, and market data. Please note that whilst we strive to offer competitive compensation, our approach is to pay between the minimum and the mid-point (£90,000 - £100,000) of the pay range until performance can be assessed in role. Offers will take into account level of experience, interview assessment, budgets and parity between you and fellow employees at GoCardless doing similar work.

The Good Stuff!

• Wellbeing: Dedicated support and medical cover to keep you healthy.
• Work Away Scheme: Work from anywhere for up to 90 days in any 12-month period.
• Hybrid Working: Our hybrid model offers flexibility, with in-office days determined by your team.
• Equity: All permanently employed GeeCees get equity to share in our success.
• Parental leave: Tailored leave to support your life's great adventure.
• Time Off: Generous holidays, 3 volunteer days, and 4 wellness days annually.

Life at GoCardless

We're an organisation defined by our values; We start with why before we begin any project, to ensure it’s aligned with our mission. We make it happen, working with urgency and taking personal accountability for getting things done. We act with integrity, always. We care deeply about what we do and we know it's essential that we be humble whilst we do it. Our Values form part of the GoCardless DNA, and are used to not only help us nurture and develop our culture, but to deliver impactful work that will help us to achieve our vision.

Diversity & Inclusion

We’re building the payment network of the future, and to achieve our goal, we need a diverse team with a range of perspectives and experiences. As of July 2024, here’s where we stand:

• 45% identify as women 
• 23% identify as Black, Asian, Mixed, or Other 
• 10% identify as LGBTQIA+ 
• 9% identify as neurodiverse 
• 2% identify as disabled 

If you want to learn more, you can read about our Employee Resource Groups and objectives here as well as our latest D&I Report 

Sustainability at GoCardless

We’re committed to reducing our environmental impact and leaving a sustainable world for future generations. As co-founders of the Tech Zero coalition, we’re working towards a climate-positive future. Check out our sustainability action plan here. 

Find out more about Life at GoCardless via X, Instagram and LinkedIn.