Managing Counsel; Governance & Regulatory Compliance

Location

EMEA, Portugal, Spain, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria

Full time

Remote

Legal and Compliance

February 21, 2026 at 7:00 PM EST

The best jobs are often restricted to a few wealthy cities, but talent exists everywhere. Oyster set out to change this by launching a global employment platform that enables companies to hire, pay, and support talent anywhere.

We’re proof that a strong, engaged culture doesn't require an office. Since January 2020, Oyster has:

🌏 Built a distributed team of 400+ across 60+ countries

👩💻 Featured in Forbes as #9 in Flex Jobs Top 30 Companies for remote jobs

🌈 Formed a diverse leadership team and a workforce that’s 60% female

🏆 Earned top employee engagement scores

🦄 Raised $286 million; valued at $1.2 billion

💚 Achieved B Corp status in 2023

Our momentum shows the power of global employment, and we’re just getting started! If you want to help us drive change and work remotely, we’d love for you to apply!

Location: While this position is posted in a specific location, all of Oyster’s positions are fully remote, and you can work from home. Forever. To create the best experience for our new hire, this role requires you to be based within +1 / +3 UTC.

Please note:
This is a Legal Counsel position, where you will be managing a small team.

We’re looking to hire a Manager, Legal Counsel (Regulatory Compliance) to play a pivotal role in driving Oyster’s global expansion as the leader in distributed work. Reporting to the Director of Governance, Risk & Compliance, you will lead a team providing strategic legal and regulatory guidance across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring compliance while enabling business growth.

You will partner with internal stakeholders - across Legal, Growth, Employment, Finance, Operations, and Revenue - and manage external counsel to navigate complex regulatory landscapes. Your work will directly influence Oyster’s corporate governance, internal controls, compliance frameworks, and international expansion initiatives, shaping the future of work globally.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Oyster’s regulatory compliance strategy and provide day-to-day advisory on legal corporate compliance, governance, and regulatory matters.
• Manage a high-performing team organizing workload and priorities, also advising across multiple jurisdictions and business areas.
• Conduct global legal and regulatory research to ensure compliance across EOR, Global Payroll, and tech products.
• Draft, review, and maintain corporate documentation, including executive committee minutes, procedures and governance policies.
• Oversee corporate secretarial services and maintain a centralized global corporate framework aligned with local laws.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to streamline the identification of business opportunities, unlock products, implement automation, and reduce operational complexity.
• Provide strategic guidance on international expansion projects and emerging regulatory risks such as Global Payroll, international expansion and others as required.

Core Requirements

• Qualified lawyer with 5+ years’ experience in regulatory compliance, including at least 2 years in SaaS, tech, or regulated industries (in-house or law firm).
• Experience in corporate governance, including establishing and managing corporate entities across multiple jurisdictions.
• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree is strongly preferred) compliance or a related field; complemented by recognized professional certifications such as CCEP I, ASCOM, or others.
• Fluent in English; additional languages are a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to advise cross-functional, global teams and manage external counsel effectively.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills with the ability to translate complex legal issues into actionable business guidance.
• Comfortable navigating complex regulatory environments and delivering practical, business-focused solutions.
• Experience in fast-paced, high-growth startup environments; entrepreneurial mindset with initiative and adaptability.

Bonus points

• Experience supporting…