Associate Director - Legal (Pay & M&A)

Do you want to help build a world-class institution from the region, experience the thrill of being part of a high-growth technology company, and improve people’s lives?

What you'll do

We are looking for an experienced, ambitious, and proactive Associate Director of Legal to be based in Dubai, who will work directly with the General Counsel in overseeing the Careem Pay legal & compliance function and leading the legal M&A function globally.

• Advising senior business stakeholders, including at the executive level.
• Overseeing and leading Careem Pay’s legal and compliance team.
• Negotiating with government authorities and regulators.
• Drafting and reviewing complex fintech contracts.
• Formulating risk management strategies.
• Managing all legal aspects of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions, including deal sourcing, due diligence, negotiation, execution, and integration issues. Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating all relevant transaction documents for the same.
• Mentoring and providing guidance to junior team members, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.

What you'll need

The ideal candidate will have a passionate commitment to improving the lives of people, an intense focus on excellence, and a strong alignment with our core values: being bold, focused, agile, and collaborative. This candidate will thrive on uncertainty, relish the challenge of building entirely new models in the region, be unafraid to work long hours, and have a clear passion for getting things done. Additional qualifications include:

• A law degree from a top international university.
• Admitted to practice as a lawyer and in good standing in at least one jurisdiction. Dual-qualified candidates with both civil law and common law admissions are especially encouraged to apply.
• Fluent in English.
• Minimum of 8 years of professional experience as a lawyer at a reputable international law firm and/or in-house, of which:
  • A minimum of 3 years of experience advising on financial services regulations; in-house experience in a fintech startup environment is preferred.
  • A minimum of 4 years of experience as a corporate lawyer.
• Strong legal and regulatory compliance knowledge around US/EU/UK payment regulations; MENA regulatory knowledge preferred.
• Strong corporate and commercial law knowledge.
• Excellent negotiation, drafting, and communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize and multitask, particularly when working under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• A methodical approach to work with a strong focus on accuracy.
• Willingness to work in a fast-paced environment and ability to manage a team.