Legal Counsel/ Senior Legal Counsel (Payments), Dubai

Responsibilities

This role will be part of the global payments legal team reporting directly into the Global Legal Compliance organisation and serves TikTok and the ByteDance group of companies.

The Global Payments business within the Group provides an important role in the monetisation of TikTok and ByteDance products, but is also in the heavily regulated industry of financial services that requires specific expertise and attention to regulatory compliance requirements. The ideal candidate should have a good background in payments, as well as excellent judgment, acute ability to identify issues of first impression, and have the courage to counsel a fast-moving business.

This role will be based in Dubai.

• Advise and counsel relevant ByteDance product teams and/or the Global Payments team on a range of payment matters including payments and risk assessment/compliance related to the ByteDance payment activities in the Middle East, Turkey, Africa and Pakistan (the "Region").
• Actively collaborating and providing guidance with a wide variety of internal stakeholders, including product, engineering, compliance, marketing, business development on a range of issues related to product development and commercialisation of global payment projects and services;
• Working closely with colleagues across the global legal team to advise on payment issues in connection with the launch of features, projects or programs;
• Assisting and providing guidance to the Global Payments team regarding payments licensing and dealing with regulators.
• Structuring, drafting, negotiating channel partner agreements with our payment partners.
• Help build scalable and effective processes for legal review and launch of new payment features and products.
• Stay up-to-date and serve as the subject matter expert of financial service regulations, including AML, money transmission, virtual currency, gifts, stored value cards and facilities, KYC, and KYB in the region.
• Participate as a proactive business partner for senior managers and build a trusted advisor relationship with various businesses within the group, including the METAP TikTok product and Global Payments businesses.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with experience in the fintech/payments industry dealing with money service business compliance requirements, anti-money laundering rules, know-your-customer requirements, and stored value facilities in the Region. Possess knowledge of sanctions and other financial crimes compliance rules and regulations in the Region.
• Knowledge and experience with payment product compliance advisory and review. Experience managing global or regional compliance, as well as the risks and regulations applicable to consumer-facing financial services and products.
• Ability to understand and interpret regulations and regulatory guidance, and adept in simplifying complex themes into understandable communications.
• A passion for technology and the ability to understand complex business models and product use cases quickly.
• Hands on experience managing distinct projects and programs, with particularly strong skills in stakeholder management and influence and a strong sense of ownership. An entrepreneurial spirit - a self starter who thrives in a fast paced environment, deals well with ambiguity and focuses on driving impact.
• Excellent cross functional collaboration skills, including navigating leadership, external partners, and regulators and exercising sound compliance judgment in a complex and challenging environment.
• Independent, hard working, well organized and able to prioritize and manage numerous projects simultaneously and the ability to work under tight deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Global or regional exposure and experience gained in the Fintech startup space or creator economy industry is highly advantageous.

About Us

Founded in 2012, ByteDance's mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. With a suite of more than a dozen products, including TikTok, Lemon8, CapCut and Pico as well as platforms specific to the China market, including Toutiao, Douyin, and Xigua, ByteDance has made it easier and more fun for people to connect with, consume, and create content.

Why Join ByteDance

Inspiring creativity is at the core of ByteDance's mission. Our innovative products are built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect - and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and enrich life - a mission we work towards every day.

As ByteDancers, we strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our Company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.

Diversity & Inclusion

ByteDance is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At ByteDance, our mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.