Senior Legal Counsel (Investment Operations)

Join Upvest, a leading fintech company, as a Senior Legal Counsel specializing in Investment Operations. In this role, you will be responsible for ensuring the legal soundness and regulatory compliance of Upvest's post-trade infrastructure. You will work closely with a high-performing legal team and be the go-to legal expert for all post-execution operations. This position offers flexibility, development opportunities, and a focus on wellbeing.

• Be the legal authority on Upvest's post-execution infrastructure, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations.
• Lead the negotiation and ongoing management of agreements with CCPs, CSDs, custodians, and other post-trade infrastructure providers.
• Serve as the internal expert on post-trade regulation across EU and German law, translating developments into actionable guidance.
• Regulatory Expertise: Strong command of EU and German financial law relevant to post-trade operations (MiFID, CSDR, WpDVerOV, MaRisk). Exposure to UK (FCA) regulation or other European NCAs is a strong plus
• Pragmatic and Direct: You focus on keeping the business running through clear-eyed legal judgement. You identify risk without creating paralysis, and give Operations and Compliance answers they can act on
• International Mindset: Familiarity with adapting legal frameworks across European markets, particularly where post-trade infrastructure and regulation diverges by jurisdiction
• Industry Background: Experience in a regulated investment firm, custodian bank, CSD, infrastructure provider, or fintech with a meaningful post-trade operating footprint
• Languages: Professional fluency in English and German — essential for regulatory filings, custodian negotiations, and day-to-day stakeholder management
• Post-Trade Depth: Hands-on understanding of clearing, settlement, and custody mechanics across a range of investment products — at the level of a seasoned practitioner who has worked directly with CCPs, CSDs, or custodians
• Automation Advocate: Enthusiasm for streamlining the legal function through technology — whether tooling, AI-assisted review, or smarter process workflows
• Qualification: At least 3–5 years post-qualification experience (PQE) in the financial services industry. At least one German legal qualification (Erste Juristische Prüfung)