Head of Legal Consumer Finance, Central & Eastern Europe (m/f)

For our client, international company from financial services industry we are looking for business-oriented Head of Legal, to lead the legal function across the Central & Eastern Europe region within a dynamic consumer finance environment.

This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on legal oversight. The successful candidate will manage a regional team of up to five Legal Counsels and ensure full alignment with Group legal and compliance standards. A key priority will be implementing and embedding Group compliance frameworks across multiple jurisdictions while supporting business growth in a highly regulated industry.

Responsibilities:

• lead and develop the CEE legal function across multiple jurisdictions,
• manage, mentor, and develop a small team of legal counsels,
• set regional legal strategy aligned with group objectives,
• ensure consistent legal governance standards across countries,
• ensure compliance with applicable financial services regulations, including consumer credit, AML, data protection, and licensing requirements,
• oversee relationships with regulatory authorities across CEE markets,
• identify regulatory changes and assess business impact,
• support internal compliance and risk management initiatives,
• implementation of group compliance standards,
• lead the regional rollout of Group compliance policies and frameworks,
• drive cultural adoption of compliance standards across the organization,
• act as a trusted advisor to regional management and country GM's,
• provide legal support for product development, digital initiatives, partnerships, and commercial contracts,
• advise on litigation strategy and dispute resolution,
• identify legal and regulatory risks and propose mitigation strategies,
• oversee litigation management and external counsel relationships.

Requirements:

• qualified lawyer with admission to practice in at least one CEE jurisdiction,
• 8+ years of legal experience, preferably in Financial Services,
• people management experience will be a strong asset but not a must have,
• experience in implementing compliance programs across multiple jurisdictions will be a strong asset,
• background in matrix organizations and international corporate environments is highly desirable,
• strategic thinking with strong execution capabilities,
• high integrity and strong ethical standards,
• ability to influence senior stakeholders,
• change management expertise and strong commercial acumen.

The offer:

• regional leadership role with high visibility at group level,
• dynamic, growth-oriented consumer finance environment,
• competitive compensation and benefits package.