Santander
We are a fast-paced tech group with international growth and active M&A. We are creating a Director-level Head of Legal to elevate our group capability. You will lead Legal and Compliance, set strategy, and partner with senior leadership on M&A, corporate structure, and cross‑border matters. Key responsibilities: Strategy, leadership & operations: Define and execute the group’s legal and compliance strategy aligned to business goals Lead all legal activities across jurisdictions; build scalable processes and controls Establish efficient contract management, governance, and compliance monitoring Manage external counsel across markets and optimize panel/spend Develop and mentor the team; set standards, priorities, and measurable outcomes Consumer, commercial & product: Advise on consumer protection, e‑commerce, marketing, and digital contracting Draft/review/negotiate commercial agreements (marketing partnerships, payment, vendors) Keep terms of service, privacy policies, and user agreements compliant and current Support product/marketing on advertising standards, promotions, and consumer rights Data protection & privacy: Lead GDPR and global privacy compliance; privacy-by-design for digital products Oversee data governance, DPA management, cross‑border transfers, and incident response Corporate, governance & M&A: Oversee corporate governance and entity management across multiple jurisdictions Lead/support M&A and corporate finance transactions (DD, structuring, execution) Advise on group legal structure; draft/review shareholder, investment, and corporate docs Provide pragmatic guidance on strategic partnerships and reorganizations Intellectual property & brand: Manage trademark portfolio and broader IP; software licensing and confidentiality Support brand protection, disputes, and enforcement strategies Risk management, disputes & compliance: Identify and mitigate legal/compliance risks across operations Handle pre‑litigation matters, consumer complaints, and dispute resolution Design and roll out policies, training, and ethical standards; drive continuous improvement What success looks like: 3 months: Assess current state; earn trust; stabilize key matters; set 12‑month roadmap 6 months: Upgraded contracting and compliance processes; visible strategic impact on deals 12 months: Legal operating at director level with scalable frameworks; strong stakeholder satisfaction; team performing with clear KPIs Must‑have qualifications: Law degree and bar qualification in Spain or another EU jurisdiction 10+ years PQE in tech/digital environments; fintech exposure is a plus Proven M&A track record (end‑to‑end) and corporate legal/structuring expertise Multi‑jurisdiction experience; Spain + international matters Fluent Spanish and strong English Leadership of legal teams and managers; ability to elevate standards and challenge assumptions Strong communication and negotiation skills with commercial, pragmatic judgment Desireable skills: Experience scaling legal in fast‑growth/scale‑ups Combination of top law firm training and in‑house leadership Additional European languages Team, reporting & ways of working: Reports to a senior executive; close partnership with Finance leadership Manages Legal and Compliance team Hybrid model or remote model Why join? First director‑level legal role with mandate to build and elevate the function Group‑wide scope, direct executive access, tangible impact on international growth and M&A Collaborative, pragmatic, multicultural environment with flexibility Competitive package aligned to seniority; details discussed confidentially How to express interest? This is a confidential search. Apply with your CV (English). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to sign an NDA prior to company disclosure.