Legal Counsel (Employment) at Wise – London, UK (via hackajob)

UK-qualified employment lawyer with 2 to 4 years PQE; ability to navigate complex issues and multiple stakeholders; ability to manage multiple cross-jurisdictional matters; strong communication of legal advice in a succinct and pragmatic manner; collaborative, get-it-done approach to problem solving.

The role of Legal Counsel (Employment) at Wise is therefore not just a compliance job; it is a strategic function that enables the business to scale while protecting its people. Employment law in global fintech is uniquely demanding because staff are hired, managed, and occasionally separated in dozens of countries simultaneously. A single role may involve advising on a new recruitment drive in Singapore, a payroll dispute in the UK, a restructuring in Estonia, and a code of conduct training in Australia. The Wise legal team needs someone who can think across jurisdictions while remaining anchored in UK law.

This posting explicitly calls for a UK-qualified lawyer with 2–4 years of post-qualification experience, signalling that the role is designed for someone who has graduated from the technicalities of law school and can apply legal reasoning to fast-moving business realities.

Some of the most important responsibilities include:

• Advising on recruitment, payroll, tax, compensation, benefits, and people operations across multiple jurisdictions.
• Drafting and advising on global employment agreements, including employment contracts, offer letters, severance agreements, confidentiality agreements, and codes of conduct.
• Partnering with internal stakeholders to develop processes and deliver training on common employee-related issues.
• Supporting employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, and restructuring processes.
• Advising on employment disputes and overseeing employment tribunal cases or their overseas equivalents.
• Monitoring employment law developments across Wise’s operating countries and helping align internal practices with local legal frameworks.

What makes this list different from a traditional employment solicitor job at a law firm is the emphasis on process development, training, and proactive alignment. Wise is not looking for someone who only reacts when a grievance is raised. It needs a lawyer who can build the rails that prevent disputes from arising in the first place.

The role reports to the Senior Legal Counsel (Employment), which provides a clear managerial path and an opportunity to learn from senior colleagues who are already shaping Wise’s global employment strategy. For an ambitious lawyer, this is an excellent platform to move from individual contributor to trusted business partner.

The key skills mentioned in the job description are revealing:

• Ability to navigate difficult issues and multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to juggle multiple matters at once across different jurisdictions.
• Ability to communicate legal advice in a succinct and pragmatic way to different areas of the business.
• Have a get-it-done, collaborative approach to problem solving.

The emphasis on succinct and pragmatic advice is critical. In a law firm, a lawyer might be rewarded for exhaustive memos and hedging every statement with risk warnings. In an in-house tech environment, that approach slows things down. Wise wants a lawyer who can say "do this, not that, and here is why" in a way that a product manager, an HR business partner, and a C-suite executive all understand.

Joining as Legal Counsel (Employment) offers several career accelerators. First, you will work alongside senior legal professionals and gain exposure to legal frameworks in dozens of countries. Second, the benefits package is deliberately generous: flexible working arrangements, stock options, private healthcare, pension scheme, six weeks’ paid sabbatical every four years, and development opportunities. Third, the company’s inclusive culture is not a slogan; it is embedded in how teams are built. For a lawyer who wants to grow into a Senior Legal Counsel or Head of Employment Law role, this position is a natural stepping stone.

Your work will directly influence how the company hires, retains, and supports its growing workforce, making this role visible to the C-suite and board.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is this role open to lawyers who are not UK-qualified? The job description explicitly states that the successful candidate must be a UK-qualified employment lawyer with 2 to 4 years PQE.
• What is the application deadline? The original posting does not specify a formal deadline. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
• Does the application process involve an interview with both hackajob and Wise? Candidates will likely go through an initial screening by hackajob before being introduced to Wise’s legal hiring team.
• Is this a remote or office-based role? The role is based in London, England, United Kingdom. Wise offers flexible working arrangements, so there may be hybrid options.