Legal & Compliance Senior Lead (Europe Only)

At R2, we believe that small and medium businesses are the productive engine of society. Small and medium businesses (SMBs) make up over 90% of companies in Latin America, yet they face a trillion-dollar credit gap. Our mission is to unlock SMBs’ potential by providing financial solutions tailored to their needs. We are reimagining the financial infrastructure of Latin America, where SMBs’ financial needs are met without ever having to go to a bank.

R2 enables platforms across Latin America to embed financial services that SMBs can leverage, starting with revenue-based financing. We are a high-performing, close-knit team with talent from organizations such as Google, Amazon, Nubank, Uber, Capital One, Mercado Libre, Globant, and J.P. Morgan. 

We are entering a new phase of growth following a strategic investment from Ant International, focused on rapidly expanding our partner footprint, strengthening our credit and underwriting capabilities, and scaling operations across multiple markets. As part of this growth journey, eligible team members have the opportunity to participate in R2’s Phantom Share Program, a performance-based incentive designed to align our team with the company’s long-term success and value creation. We believe in building a culture of ownership, where those who help create value share meaningfully in it.

We are looking for a senior, Dutch-qualified lawyer to lead R2's legal and compliance work for the European launch as a Legal & Compliance Senior Lead (IC5). This is a high-ownership role for someone who can act as R2's on-the-ground legal owner for the Netherlands and, supported by external counsel, Belgium, working directly with the group Head of Legal and Compliance.

What You'll Do

• Own the Dutch and, in parallel, supported by sufficient external local advisory, Belgian legal and regulatory workstreams for R2's launch, from entity incorporation through to a fully operational state.
• Lead entity setup and governance: articles of association (statuten), notarial incorporation, KVK and UBO-register registration, and director and legal-representation requirements.
• Localize, draft and negotiate R2's financing contracts, merchant terms, partner agreements and SEPA direct-debit mandates under Dutch and Belgian law.
• Instruct and manage external Dutch and Belgian counsel, turning their opinions into executed documents and a running compliance operation.
• Advise on licensing perimeter, funding structure, the payments perimeter, collections enforceability, data protection and automated decision-making.
• Manage corporate-banking onboarding and the SME-lending quality mark (keurmerk / Finankeur).
• Partner closely with the product, compliance, finance and operations teams, and serve as the senior legal point of contact for the European business.
• Support R2's expansion into further EU markets over time.
• Nice to have, not required: Own the operational Wwft / AML function: CDD design, third-party reliance arrangements, prevention manuals, risk matrices, and interaction with supervisors.

Who You Are

• At least ~7 years PQE, including significant in-house or top-tier law-firm experience in fintech or financial services.
• Admitted to practice in the Netherlands (advocaat).
• Full professional fluency in English is essential; you will work daily with the group's leadership and the Head of Legal in English. Dutch is required for local practice, regulators and counterparties.
• Willingness and ability to advise on Belgian law supported by external counsel. 
• Lending and GDPR experience.
• Deep command of the relevant regulatory landscape and a genuine interest in fintech, financial inclusion and cross-border expansion.
• Strong, precise drafting; comfort operating with autonomy and a high-ownership mindset; able to run multiple open matters and external counsel across two jurisdictions simultaneously.

Bonus

• Dual qualification or strong Belgian experience.
• Working-level Spanish and/or Portuguese given R2's Latin American base and French given the Belgian market.
• Wwft / AML and payments experience.

What We Offer

• The chance to join a high-impact, mission-driven fintech.
• Ownership and impact in a fast-paced, growth-oriented startup.
• Cross-functional collaboration with exceptional teams.
• Exposure to complex regulatory challenges and innovation in embedded finance.

Locations: Netherlands / Western Europe, with responsibility for Belgium. Remote collaboration with teams across Latin America and group headquarters. 

Questions? Reach out at: [email protected]