People Matter

Senior Counsel, International Expansion & Operations

Worldcoin

Worldcoin

Legal, Operations
Berlin, Germany
Posted on Thursday, December 29, 2022

About the Company:

Worldcoin (www.worldcoin.org) is an open-source protocol, supported by a global community of developers, individuals, economists and technologists committed to expanding participation in, and access to, the global economy. Its community is united around core beliefs in the inherent worth and equality of every individual, the right to personal privacy, and open and public collaboration. These beliefs are reflected in what the community is building: a public utility to connect everyone to the global economy.

The Worldcoin Foundation (www.worldcoin.foundation) is the protocol’s steward and will support and grow the Worldcoin community until it becomes self-sufficient. Tools for Humanity (www.toolsforhumanity.com) is a global hardware and software development company. It helped launch Worldcoin and continues to provide support to the Foundation, in addition to operating the World App.

This opportunity would be with Tools for Humanity.

About the Team:

The Legal team is responsible for all of Worldcoin’s legal and government affairs globally. We partner cross-company to help advance the blockchain project, improve our products (hardware device, wallet app, and Proof of Personhood), and ensure regulatory compliance in areas such as securities, AML/CFT, consumer protection, trade, IP and labor, among others. We have earned a reputation for responsiveness, technical acumen, practicality, and integrity. Everyday, we have a high impact.

About the Opportunity:

This is a unique role offering the opportunity to shape the on-the-ground expansion strategy of a complex global Web3 initiative. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, the Senior Counsel helps the project grow responsibly by assessing threshold risks and requirements associated with entering new jurisdictions, informing decisions about the prioritization and timing of entry, and monitoring changes in the law to ensure ongoing compliance in those places.

The role pulls together input on a range of local legal considerations, including financial / cryptocurrency regulations, data protection & privacy, logistics, and labor & employment. Moreover, it is highly cross-functional. The Senior Counsel will partner most closely with our expansion and on-the-ground operations teams, and will also develop close working relationships with our teams responsible for product development, economics, trust & safety, logistics, financial compliance, and government relations. In this role, you will:

  • Develop and lead legal strategy for jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction entry decisions and meeting ongoing support needs, including by proactively solving process and other problems for the business as they execute an ambitious global growth plan.
  • Secure and relay advice on threshold risks and requirements for entering new jurisdictions, in matters such as financial regulation, data protection, and labor & employment.
  • Manage local counsel in several jurisdictions to secure clear, actionable input in an efficient and cost effective manner.
  • Develop and help implement a legal playbook for ensuring certain requirements are met prior to entering or conducting a new activity in a jurisdiction.
  • Build relationships with key stakeholders who may need to be involved in preparing to rollout in new geographies (product, economics, logistics, government relations).
  • Collaborate with Legal counterparts focused on product and compliance to ensure necessary local licenses and registrations are obtained prior to entering new jurisdictions and jurisdiction-specific product initiatives are vetted.
  • Partner with Trust & Safety colleagues to ensure growth in new markets is successful and sustainable
  • Help ensure we deliver consistent, accurate messaging and materials to key stakeholders and to the public who will use the digital currency.
  • Develop a deep understanding of our strategies around product, economics, trust and safety, corporate matters, and external relations, and play a key role in pulling these together to provide effective advice in each jurisdiction.
  • Proactively contribute to the Legal team‘s planning, cohesion, consistency in advice, and the general efficiency and effectiveness of the team as a whole.

About You:

  • Hands-on and creative problem-solver, who understands on-the-ground complexities and is passionate about building scalable ways to account for them.
  • Must have excellent academic credentials and be a qualified lawyer in good standing with eligibility to practice in your jurisdiction (preference for Germany, or the U.S.).
  • 7+ years of post-law school experience working as an attorney, with solid BigLaw experience.
  • Previous experience building multi-jurisdictional commercial enterprises that operate IRL, especially with “gig work” platforms or FinTech companies.
  • Experience developing and successfully providing legal support for international growth plans, including assessing regulatory and legal requirements and developing a plan for successful execution.
  • Proven track record in licensing efforts and working as part of a cross-functional team to launch new operations, products and business lines in established and emerging markets internationally.
  • Capable of defining an agenda and ensuring it gets done on time and efficiently, along the way demonstrating judgment, practicality, resourcefulness, proactivity, and attention to detail.
  • Excellent written communicator, able to present complex legal issues clearly and concisely, whether extemporaneously on Slack, in emails, or in memoranda and other more formal documents.
  • Affinity for program management and using technology solutions to help scale our team’s processes, and comfort with GSuite applications, Microsoft Office, and other tech SaaS tools (such as SQL, Looker, Figma, Slack, AirTable, etc.).
  • Demonstrated interest in blockchain technology, Web3, cryptocurrency and digital assets.
  • Extensive experience living, working, traveling, or practicing law internationally, and ability to travel regularly.
  • Fluency in English and ability to speak German is extra.
  • Positive collaborative attitude, comfort with change and a fast pace, high level of integrity, and intellectual curiosity.

Pay transparency statement (for CA and NY based roles)

The reasonably estimated salary for this role at TFH ranges from $164,000 - $225,000, plus a competitive long term incentive package. Actual compensation is based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, TFH offers a wide range of best in class, comprehensive and inclusive employee benefits for this role including healthcare, dental, vision, a 401(k) plan and match, life insurance, flexible time off, commuter benefits, professional development stipend and much more!