Senior Counsel - Security

At Coinbase, our mission is to increase economic freedom around the world, and we couldn’t do this without hiring the best people. We’re a group of hard-working overachievers who are deeply focused on building the future of finance and Web3 for our users across the globe, whether they’re trading, storing, staking or using crypto. Know those people who always lead the group project? That’s us.

There are a few things we look for across all hires we make at Coinbase, regardless of role or team. First, we look for candidates who will thrive in a culture like ours, where we default to trust, embrace feedback, and disrupt ourselves. Second, we expect all employees to commit to our mission-focused approach to our work. Finally, we seek people who are excited to learn about and live crypto, because those are the folks who enjoy the intense moments in our sprint and recharge work culture. We’re a remote-first company looking to hire the absolute best talent all over the world.

Ready to #LiveCrypto? Who you are:

You’ve got positive energy. You’re optimistic about the future and determined to get there.
You’re never tired of learning. You want to be a pro in bleeding edge tech like DeFi, NFTs, DAOs, and Web 3.0.
You appreciate direct communication. You’re both an active communicator and an eager listener - because let’s face it, you can’t have one without the other. You’re cool with candid feedback and see every setback as an opportunity to grow.
You can pivot on the fly. Crypto is constantly evolving, so our priorities do, too. What you worked on last month may not be what you work on today, and that excites you. You’re not looking for a boring job.
You have a “can do” attitude. Our teams create high-quality work on quick timelines. Owning a problem doesn’t scare you, but rather empowers you to take 100% responsibility for achieving our mission.
You want to be part of a winning team. We’re stronger together, and you’re a person who embraces being pushed out of your comfort zone.

The Security Legal team serves as the primary advisors to the global security team at Coinbase. The team counsels on a range of matters from incident response/reporting to security program compliance with international and domestic information security regulations. The team also tackles unique Web3/blockchain legal matters in the cybersecurity field.

This role will specifically lead security legal advice in the EU and UK, enabling continued growth and compliance in this important market for Coinbase. The role will focus on incident response reporting obligations and information technology/security program governance obligations.

What you’ll be doing (ie. job duties):

Work closely as legal advisor to business executives and the security team to ensure compliance of EU and international operations with applicable e-money / payment services and financial services law and regulation and industry standards within the information technology and cybersecurity spaces
Provide legal guidance to international operating entities. Includes responsibility for ensuring legal and regulatory compliance in the cybersecurity space of new products and services, inter-company operating arrangements, governance of cross-entity oversight, and proper reporting (ie: under PSD2/3) of security and operational incidents to relevant EU and UK regulators.
Advise business leads and other key clients of new regulatory and policy trends and developments involving digital currency and cybersecurity in Europe and other key international jurisdictions, and help enable Coinbase’s advocacy for effective regulation
Continuously assess operating risks and legal needs and ensure that the legal department is equipped to provide outstanding support as Coinbase’s international business continues to grow
Manage outside counsel effectively where they are engaged in connection with specific projects, while establishing your own strong domain expertise.

What we look for in you (ie. job requirements):

Qualified solicitor in the UK or Ireland with approximately 6 -10 years experience working in cybersecurity law, preferably within a regulated e-money / payment services or financial services institution (e.g. e-money issuer, payment service firm, broker dealer / asset manager) or in a law firm supporting such clients (ideally with some previous in-house experience)
Strong familiarity with existing and upcoming PSD2/3, Mica, DORA, and other cybersecurity regulations
Experience dealing with regulators such the Financial Conduct Authority and Central Bank of Ireland is preferred
Ability to manage complex projects involving coordination across multiple time zones, challenging legal issues and tight deadlines
Ability to work closely with Security to deliver coordinated input to the business and other stakeholders
Ability to exercise initiative and drive effective internal decision making across complex workstreams to enable Coinbase to meet its long-term goals
Ability to manage a large and varied workload and exercise excellent judgment, analytical rigour and commercial pragmatism. Must be able to provide crisp and practical legal advice to business executives across a broad range of matters with limited supervision
Highly driven and proactive. Must be keen to create process and structure and strive for continuous improvement
Must be flexible, able to multitask, detail-oriented, and enjoy fast paced and high-intensity work
Exceptional legal writing abilities and skilled at synthesizing the perspectives of various stakeholders
Comfortable working independently in a fast-paced, growth-stage environment, subject to regulatory scrutiny, operating excellence and Coinbase’s demanding standards to operate the world’s most trusted digital currency exchange

Nice to haves:

Enthusiasm for and a basic understanding of digital currencies/blockchain

Pay Transparency Notice: Depending on your work location, the target annual salary for this position can range as detailed below. Full time offers from Coinbase also include target bonus + target equity + benefits (including medical, dental, vision and 401(k)).

Pay Range:

£120,600—£134,000 GBP

Commitment to Equal Opportunity

Coinbase is committed to diversity in its workforce and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by applicable law. Coinbase will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. For US applicants, you may view the Know Your Rights notice here. Additionally, Coinbase participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law.

Coinbase is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please complete this intake form to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. For quick access to screen reading technology compatible with this site click here to download a free compatible screen reader (free step by step tutorial can be found here).

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Benefits at Coinbase