Director of Legal & Regulatory Affairs, APAC

Director of Legal & Regulatory Affairs, APAC

Company: Mesh Location: APAC (Remote) Contract: Permanent Seniority: Executive

About Mesh

Mesh's mission is to enable consumers to pay and be paid with any asset. We are bridging the gap between the trillions of dollars in tokenized assets and everyday commerce by making crypto payments reliable, useful, and ubiquitous. Backed by leading investors, we are building the infrastructure for the next era of the global economy.

About the Role

Mesh is building the regulatory and payments infrastructure for the next generation of digital asset transactions across the APAC region. As the Director of Legal & Regulatory Affairs, you will play a pivotal role in achieving this vision. Working closely with the CEO APAC and global Legal and Compliance leadership, you will provide trusted advisory on critical commercial, product, and expansion decisions. Your responsibilities will span shaping market entry strategies, supporting enterprise partnerships, and navigating emerging regulations in digital assets and payments, directly impacting Mesh's growth trajectory. This is an opportunity for a proactive individual who thrives on creating structure from ambiguity, developing practical solutions to complex regulatory challenges, and enabling a fast-growing company to unlock new opportunities across the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Own Mesh's regulatory strategy across APAC: Lead the region's licensing roadmap, from defining regulatory positioning and activity classifications to driving licensing applications to approval.
• Build trusted regulatory relationships: Serve as Mesh's primary legal liaison with regulators across APAC and develop/manage a network of top-tier external counsel in key markets.
• Translate regulatory change into business decisions: Stay ahead of developments in digital assets, payments, stablecoins, VASP frameworks, and the Travel Rule, translating complex requirements into practical, decision-ready guidance.
• Enable growth through strategic legal advice: Partner with business leaders on product structuring, market expansion, and commercial partnerships, advising on agreements with exchanges, fintechs, payment providers, and financial institutions.
• Represent Mesh in high-impact conversations: Provide confident, commercially minded legal leadership in enterprise and strategic partnership discussions where regulatory credibility is crucial.

Requirements

• Qualified lawyer with 10+ years of experience in financial services, fintech, payments, or digital assets.
• Deep APAC regulatory expertise, including direct engagement with regulators such as MAS, HKMA, FSC, FSA, and other regional authorities.
• Proven experience navigating complex regulatory matters across multiple jurisdictions within APAC.
• Strong understanding of digital assets, stablecoins, crypto payments, and related infrastructure, including practical operational knowledge.
• Experience advising on payments products, infrastructure, licensing, or regulatory regimes (e.g., MAS Payment Services Act, PSP frameworks, and equivalents).
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity, developing positions where precedent may not exist, and shaping strategy in rapidly evolving regulatory environments.
• Commercially minded and pragmatic, with the judgment to balance risk, growth, and partnership objectives.
• Exceptional communicator, capable of translating complex legal and regulatory issues into clear, actionable guidance for diverse teams.
• Prior experience at a crypto exchange, fintech, neobank, payments company, or digital asset infrastructure provider is highly valued.
• Familiarity with FATF Travel Rule requirements, VASP compliance frameworks, and cross-border digital asset regulation across APAC is a plus.
• Existing relationships with APAC regulators, policymakers, or industry bodies are strongly preferred.

What We Offer

At Mesh, you will join a fast-growing company tackling complex, industry-shaping problems. You will work alongside a sharp, motivated team that moves quickly and collaborates deeply. This is an environment where you will see your work ship fast, make a real impact, and have the opportunity to build and own significant initiatives. You will experience rapid professional growth, level up your skills, and gain a front-row seat to scaling a high-growth company.

We offer competitive compensation and equity, comprehensive health coverage, and unlimited Paid Time Off. We invest in your growth with a dedicated budget for courses, conferences, and certifications. Our remote-friendly approach ensures you can work from wherever you are most productive, and we provide the top-tier tools and equipment you need to excel.