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Head of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs (Fintech)
HoneyCoin
This job is no longer accepting applications
See open jobs at HoneyCoin.See open jobs similar to "Head of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs (Fintech)" Ventures Platform.Legal
Posted on Mar 19, 2025
Head of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs (Fintech)
Job posted
March 19, 2025
Location
Hybrid
Anywhere(EMEA Timezones)
Role Status
Open
Head of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs (Fintech)
Job Summary
We are seeking a seasoned professional to serve as the Head of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs at HoneyCoin. This senior leadership role will focus on driving license acquisition, new market entry, and regulatory strategy across multiple countries. It involves leading engagements with central bank regulators, managing key regulatory relationships, and securing critical financial services licenses for our operations.
Hundreds of thousands of people use HoneyCoin and dozens of businesses — all moving millions of dollars across Africa, the US, UK & some parts of Europe with this number increasing every day. That means all of these people trust us to deliver a fast, reliable, and secure experience, and we value this more than anything. We want to keep earning trust, while also continuing to amaze our users with the use-cases HoneyCoin’s infrastructure can power. This is where you come in — to help us tell the story to our business customers and win them over as we seek to gain new customers and continue building trust with them.
The ideal candidate has a proven track record in obtaining Payment Service Provider (PSP) and International Money Transfer Operator (IMTO) licenses in multiple African markets. They bring deep expertise in regulatory frameworks and compliance within the financial services industry, along with prior experience working directly with central bank regulators across Africa. While the preferred base for this role is Kenya, the position is region-agnostic and entails extensive business travel across African markets.
Why Join
As a small team, we work in a highly collaborative environment and you'll have the opportunity to participate in every part of the business from idea to production.
Impact: Build the foundation and shape engineering practices, team and company culture.
Excellence: Practice your craft with other professionals in a well-organized, fast-paced environment.
Ownership: Influence the direction of the product and strategy — we care about your opinions.
Fun: Working in a start up can be hard, but we make it real fun and definitely worth your while.
Growth: We compensate and reward our technical talent at above market rates both now and into the future because we believe that the people solving really hard problems every single day should feel equally as valued.
You’ll be joining a young, high-growth company at the beginning of an incredible journey and will get to help shape a product that people absolutely love
You’ll work alongside brilliant people who care deeply about the experiences of others: customers, colleagues, and partners
You’ll have the autonomy to do the best work of your career, and also the support of peers who are genuinely invested in your growth
Key Responsibilities
Develop and execute licensing strategy for market expansion: Formulate a comprehensive plan to acquire necessary financial services licenses (including PSP and IMTO licenses) in target African markets, aligning with the company's growth objectives.
Lead engagement with regulators: Drive the end-to-end process of pursuing new licenses by engaging with central banks and financial regulatory authorities across target African countries, including preparing and submitting high-quality license applications.
Lead document preparation and iteration: Drive the end-to-end process of applying and providing necessary documentation, we will provide a paralegal/legal assistant but you will be in charge of what needs to be within those documents and how they should be presented because you have done this before.
Relationship management with regulatory bodies: Establish and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with key regulatory bodies and central banks. Act as the primary liaison to ensure ongoing communication, address regulatory inquiries, and facilitate smooth approvals.
Identify strategic acquisition targets: Research and identify potential acquisition targets (e.g., fintech companies or financial institutions) that hold relevant licenses. Evaluate these opportunities as a means to quickly enter new markets or expand service offerings.
Ensure regulatory compliance: Oversee compliance with all local and international regulatory requirements in each operating jurisdiction. Monitor regulatory changes and ensure the company’s practices and products remain fully compliant with current laws and guidelines.
Collaborate with internal teams: Work closely with internal legal, compliance, and executive teams to navigate complex regulatory landscapes. Provide guidance on regulatory implications for business initiatives and help integrate regulatory considerations into strategic decisions.
Key Requirements
Senior-level experience: Extensive experience (senior management level) in licensing and regulatory affairs within the financial services sector.
Proven licensing track record: Demonstrated success in drafting, presenting, and securing Payment Service Provider (PSP) and International Money Transfer Operator (IMTO) licenses in at least two African countries. You understand what is required and have built compliance packs in the past for license acquisition in multiple markets.
Regulatory engagement: Prior experience working directly with central bank regulators and financial authorities across Africa, with an ability to navigate varying regulatory processes and build credibility.
Regulatory expertise: Strong expertise in African financial regulatory frameworks and compliance standards, particularly in payments, remittances, and fintech services.
Preferred Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Law, Business, Finance, or a related field.
Industry experience: 5+ years of experience in regulatory affairs, licensing, or financial regulatory compliance roles.
Licensing Experience: Involved as the lead counsel in 2+ license acquisition engagements across different markets.
Fintech/Banking background: Experience working in a high-growth fintech, payments, or broader financial services company, especially in a multi-country context.
Skills: Exceptional negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills to effectively interact with regulators and internal leadership.
Mandatory Qualifications
Do not apply if :
You have never led or played a key role in multiple successful license acquisition processes.
Have no experience drafting, presenting, and revising documents related to a regulatory process for the purpose of acquiring a PSP, IMTO, or similar license.
You have less than 5 years of experience for this role or similar.
You don’t have a sense of urgency. We’ve gotten this far; this fast because whenever someone tells us something can be done in 4 weeks, we ask how we can do it 4 hours. People always overestimate how fast something can be done, but underestimate how long something can be perfected. As long as it’s done, it can be improved if it takes 4 weeks to do, how long will it take to improve?
How to apply
Fill in this form below or follow the link attached. We move very fast for candidates we like and maintain the same energy for those who might not be a fit because your time is extremely valuable to us!
Employment at HoneyCoin is based on individual merit. Opportunities are open to all, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, creed, age, handicap, national origin, ancestry, military status, veteran status, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, affectional preference, or other irrelevant factors. HoneyCoin is an equal opportunity employer.
This job is no longer accepting applications
See open jobs at HoneyCoin.See open jobs similar to "Head of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs (Fintech)" Ventures Platform.