Legal Counsel, Payments

Summary

Join Wealthsimple as a Legal Counsel, Payments and play a key role in supporting the development, commercialization, and regulatory alignment of Wealthsimple’s payment products and infrastructure. You will work cross-functionally with Legal, Compliance, Product, Engineering, Risk, and Policy teams. This role will provide legal guidance on regulatory, competition, and product matters related to the Retail Payments Activities Act (RPAA), Real-Time Rail (RTR), and other payments initiatives in Canada. Lead Wealthsimple’s legal advocacy efforts in the payments space, provide legal and strategic advice on payments law, and support Wealthsimple’s regulatory initiatives. You will also draft, review, and update client-facing terms and conditions and collaborate on legal aspects of product development. This position requires a fast-paced, high-impact environment and strong regulatory instincts.

Requirements

• 4+ years of legal experience with a focus on competition, consumer protection, or payments law, ideally in a heavily regulated industry, or law firm environment
• Advocacy experience in a heavily regulated industry, particularly on issues related to competition and consumer protection
• Practical experience working with regulators to advance business objectives and resolve complaints in a creative and collaborative way
• Pragmatic and results-oriented experience negotiating agreements, particularly for complex digital and financial services
• Strong communication skills and ability to distill complex legal topics into clear, actionable advice for diverse audiences
• Collaborative and proactive mindset with a willingness to roll up your sleeves
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and evolving regulatory frameworks
• A strategic thinker with a builder mentality who thrives in a fast-moving, mission-driven environment

Responsibilities

• Lead Wealthsimple’s legal advocacy efforts in the payments space, including interactions with regulators such as the Department of Finance, Bank of Canada, and Competition Bureau
• Provide legal and strategic advice on payments law, stablecoins as payment instruments, consumer protection, and competition issues in support of our product, engineering, and government relations teams
• Support Wealthsimple’s regulatory initiatives including RPAA registration and ongoing compliance, and help shape our legal strategy related to Real-Time Rail participation
• Draft, review, and update client-facing terms and conditions and product disclosures
• Collaborate the intersection of securities law (particularly CIRO rules) and payments law
• Assist with resolving complex client complaints and regulatory escalations
• Advise on commercial agreements and relationships related to payments infrastructure
• Collaborate on legal aspects of product development for payments features related to the intersection of securities law (particularly CIRO rules) and payments law
• Work with outside counsel on specialized or complex legal questions

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience advising on European or U.S. financial regulatory frameworks
• French language skills
• Familiarity with anti-money laundering (AML) laws
• Previous in-house experience at in a heavily regulated industry

Benefits

• Competitive salary with top-tier health benefits and life insurance
• Retirement savings matching plan using Wealthsimple for Business
• 20 vacation days per year and unlimited sick and mental health days
• Up to $1,500 per year towards wellness and professional development budgets respectively
• 90 days away program: Employees can work internationally in eligible countries for up to 90 days per calendar year
• A wide variety of peer and company-led Employee Resource Groups (ie. Rainbow, Women of Wealthsimple, Black @ WS)
• Company-wide wellness days off scheduled throughout the year