Senior Legal Counsel

Network International is the largest Financial Technology company in Middle East and Africa. Payments is our core business where we provide services in more than 50 countries – UAE, Jordan, South Africa, Egypt are some of our key markets. Apart from payments, we provide services on Data and Insights, Lending, Insurance, Risk Solutions, etc. Our core customers are businesses at every scale and segment, though recently we are growing in direct to consumer card segment as well.

Our EVP's

At Network International, we always stay ahead. In the fast-paced world of financial services, we thrive on innovation, agility, and purposeful collaboration. We invest first in our people, empowering you to make bold decisions, learn fast, and grow your expertise alongside industry leaders. Here, solving complex problems means more than using cutting-edge technology; it’s about creating meaningful value for our customers, together. We foster a culture where trust, accountability, and achievement go hand in hand, because success isn’t just a goal; it’s how we work, every day, as one team.

We are seeking a commercially minded and technology-focused legal professional to join our dynamic legal team. This role will serve as a trusted advisor to our Product, Technology, Procurement and Africa business teams, supporting the development and launch of innovative payment and financial services solutions across the Middle East and Africa.

The successful candidate will provide strategic legal guidance throughout the product lifecycle, from ideation and design through launch and commercialization, ensuring compliance with applicable regulatory, payments, data privacy and consumer protection requirements. The role will also lead legal support for strategic technology sourcing initiatives, including cloud, SaaS, AI and other critical technology partnerships, while helping the business manage risk and scale efficiently.

In addition, the role will act as a key legal business partner to our Africa business units, supporting growth initiatives, customer engagements, commercial negotiations and regulatory interactions across multiple jurisdictions. Given the rapidly evolving payments landscape, the role requires a proactive, solution-oriented individual who can balance legal risk with commercial objectives and collaborate effectively with senior stakeholders across the organization.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of payments, digital financial services and emerging technologies at one of the leading fintech companies in the region.

Responsibilities

Product Advisory

• Act as a strategic legal advisor during ideation and product development, ensuring legal, regulatory and data privacy considerations are integrated by design.
• Provide end-to-end legal support for new product launches, features and enhancements in payments, digital wallets and financial services.
• Draft and negotiate product terms and conditions and collaboration agreements with partners.
• Monitor and counsel on emerging product technologies (Crypto, Stablecoins, AI) and relevant regulations and establish guardrails for product teams.
• Collaborate and support the Risk teams to conclude legal reviews in accordance with defined policies.
• Educate internal stakeholders on new legal and regulatory developments impacting novel products.
• Liaise with regulators and external counsel on licensing and product approvals.
• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to senior business, product and technology stakeholders, providing commercially pragmatic guidance to support strategic growth initiatives.
• Support cross-functional teams in balancing innovation, regulatory requirements and commercial objectives within highly regulated payments and financial services environments.

Strategic Technology Sourcing

• Review strategic vendor contracts, SaaS agreements and technology partnerships.
• Advise Product and Procurement teams on structuring vendor relationships to maximize flexibility and minimize dependency.
• Provide legal support for emerging technology initiatives and digital transformation projects across multiple jurisdictions.
• Advise on complex technology matters, including risk allocation, regulatory compliance and operational resilience considerations.

Business Partner for Africa Business Units

• Act as the legal business partner for relevant Africa business units and support client engagements and contract reviews.
• Provide strategic legal advice on commercial opportunities, regulatory developments and customer engagements.
• Drive legal support for complex commercial negotiations, strategic partnerships and key customer contracts across the region.
• Partner with business leaders and external stakeholders, including regulators and external counsel where required, to facilitate business objectives while ensuring appropriate risk management.

Preferred Experience

• Qualified lawyer with significant post-qualification experience supporting technology, fintech, payments, financial services or regulated industries.
• Demonstrated experience advising on payment products, financial services, technology contracts, SaaS, cloud services, outsourcing and strategic vendor relationships.
• Experience working across multiple jurisdictions, particularly within the Middle East and/or Africa, with exposure to cross-border legal and regulatory matters.
• Ability to operate independently in a lean, fast-paced legal environment and manage a broad portfolio of legal matters simultaneously.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with experience engaging directly with senior business leaders and executive management.
• Ability to operate independently with limited supervision.
• Strong commercial mindset and practical legal approach.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree
• Admitted Attorney or equivalent legal qualification in a relevant jurisdiction.
• Minimum 8-10+ years' post-qualification experience (PQE) in fintech, payments, financial services, technology or other regulated industries.
• Demonstrated experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating complex commercial agreements, technology contracts, SaaS agreements and strategic partnership arrangements.
• Strong knowledge of payments, financial services, technology, data privacy and consumer protection laws and regulations.
• Experience advising on product development, product launches and regulatory considerations in a regulated environment.

Network International is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, nationalities, and experience levels. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where innovation, diversity, and performance thrive.