Deputy General Counsel – Global Head of Derivatives and Trading Legal

Kraken Digital Asset Exchange

. Own global derivatives structuring strategy, including product structure, venue and entity architecture, clearing models, and delivery across separately licensed entities .

Posted 10/2/2026full-timeRemote • United StatesLead💰 $232,100 - $517,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive expertise in derivatives regulatory law, with a strong focus on structuring strategy and regulatory engagement across multiple jurisdictions. Proven ability to lead and develop legal teams while maintaining credibility with regulators and managing complex legal functions.

Highest-signal resume keywords

18+ Years' Post-Qualification ExperienceExpert-Level Command of Derivatives Regulatory RegimesExperience with Virtual Asset MarketsTrack Record of Building Legal FunctionsAbility to Independently Own Regulatory Workstreams

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Derivatives Regulatory LawRegulatory EngagementProduct StructuringCross-Entity StructuringSupervisory CorrespondenceRisk AllocationClient Relationship ManagementLegal Team DevelopmentStructuring JudgementBAU Regulatory Workstreams

Soft Skills

Credibility with RegulatorsJudgement in Legal PositionsLeadership in Fast-Moving Environments

Certifications & Qualifications

Attorney Admitted to Practice in the USQualified Lawyer in EU Member State

Industry Keywords

Financial ServicesRegulated Financial Services InstitutionLiquidity ProviderCFTCNFAFCABMACySECDerivatives PermissionsTokenized Products

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own global derivatives structuring strategy, including product structure, venue and entity architecture, clearing models, and delivery across separately licensed entities
Solve cross-entity issues with Payward’s Regulatory Legal team, including hub-and-spoke architecture, unified balances, cross-margining, and allocation of risk and client relationships
Serve as the named senior legal owner for derivatives and trading product lines
Participate in the product launch process from the outset
Lead and build the legal team by hiring, levelling, developing senior derivatives counsel, and building succession
Partner with Global Policy and Government Relations on derivatives regulatory engagement with the CFTC, NFA, FCA, BMA, CySEC, and others
Support supervised entities holding derivatives permissions and work on supervisory relationships, new permissions, and variations tied to product launches
Bring structuring judgement in-house and direct external counsel when specialist input is required
Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned

Requirements

What you’ll need

Attorney admitted to practice in the US, or qualified lawyer (Solicitor/Barrister of England & Wales, Irish Solicitor/Barrister, or equivalent admitted in an EU Member State)
18+ years' post-qualification experience (PQE) in financial services regulatory law
Experience gained at a regulated financial services institution, major liquidity provider, or law firm/private practice supporting such clients
Ability to independently own BAU regulatory workstreams
Experience supporting regulator engagement, including notifications, information requests, and supervisory correspondence
Substantial senior in-house or equivalent experience in derivatives legal
Demonstrated ownership of structuring strategy
Deep, expert-level command of at least one derivatives regulatory regime: US (CFTC, NFA; FCM, DCM and DCO structures), UK (FCA), EEA, or an offshore regime such as Bermuda
High degree of fluency in at least one additional derivatives regulatory regime
Direct experience with virtual asset markets
Experience structuring products across multiple licensed entities in different jurisdictions
Track record of building or materially scaling a legal function or team, including hiring, levelling, and succession
Ability to operate at function level and hold senior lawyers accountable for results and behaviour
Credibility with regulators and judgement to take positions before them
Comfort operating as the senior legal voice in a fast-moving, product-led business
Nice to have: exposure to prediction markets, margin lending, tokenized and structured products
Nice to have: experience integrating acquired regulated entities and legal teams

Benefits

Comp & perks

Bonus program
Equity program
Wellness allowance
Medical, dental, and vision benefits (US Only)
401(k) benefits (US Only)
Equal opportunity employment
Job-related skills or work-style assessments applied consistently across candidates
Ongoing application acceptance unless a deadline is specified