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Xero is seeking a Senior Payments Counsel to join its global legal team. In this role, you will serve as a trusted advisor on payments and financial services regulation, providing practical, commercial guidance to product, risk, and strategy teams across multiple markets. You'll support Xero's financial services ambitions in Australia, the US, and UK, building relationships with regulators and helping the business make informed decisions about its payments capability expansion.
You will work within the Financial Services Legal, Risk and Compliance team, collaborating with legal, compliance, risk, and product colleagues, as well as external advisers and regulators. The team pairs commercial judgment with legal rigor, and you'll be expected to bring both perspectives to complex regulatory questions.
Key responsibilities include:
- Advising on global payments regulation, financial services law, and financial crime (AML/CTF and sanctions requirements)
- Establishing regulatory guardrails for new payment participation models as Xero's product suite grows
- Supporting AFSL obligations, compliance, and risk management across Xero's Australian payments business
- Enabling expansion of Xero's payments and embedded financial services capability into the US and UK
- Mentoring junior members of the legal team as Xero's payments and financial services footprint expands
The role is based in either Melbourne or Sydney with a hybrid arrangement, allowing flexibility to split time between home and office while coming together in person for key moments and regular boost days.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Relevant law degree and current practising certificate
- Solid financial services regulatory and payments experience (8+ years post-qualification experience)
- Experience providing regulatory advice to a global, growth-focused technology business
- Track record running large-scale regulatory projects and liaising directly with financial regulators
- Strong commercial acumen and confidence to work autonomously in a fast-moving environment
- Ability to translate complex legal and regulatory detail into plain English for diverse audiences
- Collaborative mindset with ability to build trust across legal, product, and risk teams
