Senior Legal Counsel – Payments (UAE)

About the role

As the legal lead for PayerMax’s payment business in the United Arab Emirates, you will be responsible for overseeing all legal matters for the UAE entity and the broader region. You will work closely with Compliance, Business, Finance and Operations to ensure the company’s licensed activities and commercial growth are supported by sound legal frameworks.

Key responsibilities

• Act as the primary legal point of contact for the UAE payment business, translating regulatory requirements into actionable business rules.
• Provide end‑to‑end legal support across the payments lifecycle, including card‑scheme onboarding, acquiring and merchant expansion.
• Review, negotiate and maintain contracts with card schemes (Mastercard, Visa, American Express, local schemes), acquiring banks, merchants and partner banks.
• Draft and negotiate intra‑group service and related‑party agreements, ensuring compliance with corporate governance and shareholder resolutions.
• Partner with the Compliance team to interpret regulatory rules (CBUAE retail payment services, AML, sanctions, PCI DSS) and supply documentation support.
• Deliver day‑to‑day contract reviews, legal advice and risk alerts to Business, Finance, Operations and Expansion teams.

Required profile

• LLB or equivalent law degree from an accredited university.
• 10 + years of relevant legal experience, with a substantial portion in payments, fintech or licensed financial institutions.
• Deep understanding of the UAE financial‑legal environment and the commercial logic of card schemes, acquiring and banking.
• Strong commercial contract negotiation and drafting abilities.
• Fluent English (written and spoken).

Required skills

• Contract negotiation and drafting.
• Regulatory interpretation for payment services.
• Collaboration with compliance, finance and product teams.