(Senior) Legal Counsel - Investment Operations

You will be part of the legal infrastructure that keeps Upvest's post-trade engine running. Bringing a granular understanding of clearing, settlement, and custody, you will ensure that every transaction Upvest processes is legally sound, operationally resilient, and regulatorily defensible at scale. Your mission is to safeguard Upvest's operating business as it scales across the EEA, UK, and Switzerland. Working within a high-performing legal team, you will be the go-to legal voice for everything that happens after a trade is executed, ensuring post-trade infrastructure remains compliant, counterparty relationships are properly governed, and operational processes can absorb the demands of rapid growth.

Responsibilities

• Advise on the legal framework governing clearing, settlement, and custody operations
• Own the legal framework around client asset protection and safekeeping obligations
• Ensure custody arrangements, including sub-custodian relationships, are structured, documented, and monitored to the highest regulatory standard
• Lead the negotiation and ongoing management of agreements with CCPs, CSDs, custodians, and other post-trade infrastructure providers
• Maintain a contractual framework that is robust, scalable, and commercially sound
• Serve as the internal expert on post-trade regulation across EU and German law
• Monitor and interpret developments across MiFID, WpDVerOV, CSDR, and MaRisk
• Translate regulatory implications into actionable guidance for Operations, Compliance, and Finance
• Partner with Operations and Compliance to assess and respond to post-trade incidents, settlement failures, and operational risk events
• Develop playbooks that enable fast, legally defensible responses
• Drive the modernisation of Upvest's legal function
• Champion scalable contracting processes, AI-assisted review workflows, and documentation standards

Requirements

• At least 3–5 years post-qualification experience (PQE) in the financial services industry
• At least one German legal qualification (Erste Juristische Prüfung)
• Hands-on understanding of clearing, settlement, and custody mechanics across a range of investment products
• Experience in a regulated investment firm, custodian bank, CSD, infrastructure provider, or fintech with a meaningful post-trade operating footprint
• 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
• Familiarity with adapting legal frameworks across European markets
• Enthusiasm for streamlining the legal function through technology
• Professional fluency in English and German

Benefits

• 30 days of annual leave
• Sports benefits
• Confidential professional coaching
• Flexibility to work remotely abroad for up to 183 days a year
• One-month fully paid sabbatical after every 4 years of working at Upvest
• Personal development budget
• Flexible work environment across hubs in Berlin, London or Tallinn, hybrid or remote across Europe
• Equity participation program
• Company-wide events such as UpFest, dinners, offsites and Holiday party
• Employee Resource Groups