Legal Senior Director, FinTech & Payments Counsel (Bangkok based,relocation provided)

About Agoda

Agoda is an online travel booking platform for accommodations, flights, and more. We build and deploy cutting-edge technology that connects travelers with more than 3.6 million accommodations globally. Based in Asia and part of Booking Holdings, our 6,000+ employees representing 90+ nationalities foster a work environment rich in diversity, creativity, and collaboration. We innovate through a culture of experimentation and ownership, enhancing the ability for our customers to experience the world.

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Our Purpose – Bridging the World Through Travel

We believe travel allows people to enjoy, learn and experience more of the amazing world we live in. It brings individuals and cultures closer together, fostering empathy, understanding, and happiness.

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Get to know our Team

In the age of technology, things are constantly changing. The travel market is much the same, being more dynamic and complex than ever. Agoda’s Legal team is well-suited to take on the opportunities and challenges presented, adopting a proactive mindset to enable the business and tackle complex and time-sensitive problems. We are quick on our feet, decisive and team players, collaborating daily with multiple stakeholders – internal and external. We hire proactive self-starting out-of-the-box thinkers that are well grounded with ethics and legal knowledge to ensure that Agoda achieves the right results, the right way.

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Job Summary

Agoda is looking for a seasoned senior FinTech and Payments lawyer with a proven successful track record (ideally with APAC experience with a particular focus on Singapore) of providing strategic legal advice on regulated and non-regulated FinTech and Payment activities. As the most senior FinTech and Payments lawyer at Agoda, you will share responsibility for the successful execution of the business’s FinTech and Payments strategies, acting as a critical partner to helping develop, launch, and enable Agoda’s mission to deliver a world-class payments operations, globally. This will include advice to key stakeholders on both market entry and licensing/regulatory requirements in key territories, and obtaining and successfully maintaining such licenses. You will also provide strategic commercial legal advice to enable the fully compliant delivery of Agoda’s FinTech/ Payments-related product strategy, supporting stakeholders through the end-to-end product journey from the design “drawing board” to launch and beyond.

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Key Responsibilities

• You will report directly to the General Counsel of Agoda, with a dotted line into the General Counsel, Booking Holdings Financial Services (“BHFS – see ‘Group Information’ below), and be responsible for all legal matters related to fintech and payments impacting Agoda, globally.
• You will be a key member of the Agoda LLT and the wider Booking Holdings Cross Brand Payments and FinTech Legal group.
• You will work cross-functionally/ in a matrix structure on a daily basis, including directly with the General Counsel, Agoda’s C-Forum, and the wider Agoda Leadership including key stakeholders in the technology, product, risk, compliance and finance teams.
• You will manage and develop a growing team (currently four heads in role/ approved), external counsel and team budgets.
• You will be accountable for horizon scanning, identify and advising on key emerging payments and financial services regulatory issues impacting Agoda’s business globally.
• You will have high ‘EQ’ and will demonstrate the ability to exercise sound legal judgment and commercial acumen when calling upon your deep industry expertise to assess complex and multifaceted legal risks.

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Knowledge And Skills Required

• 15 years practicing law, with a mix of in-house and big firm experience preferred.
• Law degree from a top law school, and excellent academic credentials.