Legal Associate (Junior Legal Manager)
About this role
Founded in 2018, headquartered in Johannesburg, and backed by leading investors including Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures and Fidelity’s F-Prime Capital, VALR is a global crypto exchange offering a comprehensive suite of products—including Spot Trading, Spot Margin, Perpetual Futures, Staking, Lending, Borrowing, OTC services, VALR Invest, Crypto Bundles, and VALR Pay. Licensed by South Africa’s FSCA, with regulatory approval in Europe, VALR serves over 1.7 million registered users and 2,000 corporate and institutional clients worldwide. The exchange is dedicated to advancing a just financial future that upholds human dignity and the unity of mankind. For more information, visit valr.com.
Our Vision:
To establish VALR as a global institution that advances the economic life of human civilisation through a borderless, inclusive, and empowering financial ecosystem.
Our Mission:
To contribute towards a global financial system that upholds justice, fosters human dignity, and reflects the oneness of humanity, by serving the financial needs of individuals, communities, and institutions through innovative financial technologies.
- At least 3 years of legal experience, ideally with exposure to fintech, crypto, or financial services sectors.
- Experience in a top-tier law firm or high-growth business is highly advantageous.
- Knowledge of emerging financial regulation, particularly in crypto and digital assets, is advantageous but not essential.
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, remote-first business.
- Strong business acumen, with a practical and solutions-oriented approach to legal matters.
- Passion for crypto, blockchain, and/or alternative financial systems.
- Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
- Ability to remain calm and effective when managing sensitive or high-pressure matters, including supporting crisis management processes.
- Strong problem-solving skills, with a flexible and innovative approach.
- Ability to identify emerging trends, anticipate potential risks, and apply sound judgement.
- Strong communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
- Willingness to contribute to both strategic legal initiatives and the practical, day-to-day legal requirements of a fast-paced business.
- Ability to support the Senior Legal Manager and wider Legal team in delivering effective legal services across the Group.
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or equivalent international legal qualification.
- Admission as an attorney (or equivalent legal professional status) preferred.
- Providing general yet comprehensive legal advice and support to VALR’s departments and stakeholders, both locally and globally, escalating complex matters to the Senior Legal Manager where appropriate.
- Supporting the Senior Legal Manager in developing and implementing legal strategies to mitigate risk and ensure compliance.
- Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts, agreements, templates, policies and procedures, and other legal documents.
- Staying up to date with the evolving cryptocurrency regulatory landscape and supporting engagement with regulators on the implementation of new legislation within the industry.
- Assisting with global expansion, business development, and regulatory compliance insofar as legal knowledge is required for these areas.
- Helping to ensure that VALR’s rights are protected and risks are limited on ad hoc projects such as new product launches, mergers and acquisitions, financing rounds, and entity creation around the world, as well as ad hoc customer issues and queries.
- Conducting legal research and providing clear, concise analysis of legal issues.
- Providing general training and coaching of internal resources on legal matters and policies.
- Liaising with external counsel, regulators, and law enforcement as and when required, under the guidance of the Senior Legal Manager.
- Maintaining and updating legal databases, templates, and records.
- Innovative Work Environment
- Engage with the latest blockchain technologies and tools in a rapidly evolving industry.
- Work from anywhere with secure, stable internet connectivity, allowing you to create your ideal workspace.
- Career Development
- Benefit from an annual professional development allowance alongside scheduled company training sessions to keep you at the forefront of the crypto industry.
- Competitive Compensation
- Competitive salaries that align with industry standards.
- When you contribute to our success, you’ll be rewarded with discretionary bonuses, recognising your impact on VALR’s growth.
- Receive preferential Tier 5 trading fees on VALR, with no monthly trading volume required.
- Diversity and Inclusion
- A commitment to fostering a diverse workforce with initiatives that promote equity and belonging.
- Wellness
- Employees are encouraged to strive for coherent and wholesome lives, fulfilling their work, personal, social, physical and spiritual goals to the best of their abilities.
- Compliance with statutory leave required by individual countries, in addition to flexible leave options.
- Enjoy lunch on us when working from our Johannesburg Head Office, one of the ways we support wellbeing and connection in the workplace.
- Impact and Contribution
- At VALR, we believe in a financial system that recognises the oneness of humanity. Our mission is to break down financial barriers and promote universal values of courage, ethical integrity, and the intrinsic worth of every individual.
- Engage in initiatives that promote education and awareness about cryptocurrencies, ensuring that everyone has the tools and knowledge to participate in the evolving financial landscape.
- Dynamic Team Culture
- Open communication and teamwork across departments, fostering innovation and creativity.
- Enjoy social gatherings outside of work to strengthen team bonds and boost morale.
- Global Exposure
- Work with colleagues from around the world.
- Exposure to diverse perspectives and practices in the crypto space.
- Recognition and Rewards
- Regular acknowledgement of employee accomplishments, fostering a culture of appreciation and motivation.
- Join us for retreats that blend professional development with team bonding in inspiring locations.
- Tools for Success
- Receive a Mac laptop and a discretionary allowance to purchase all the extras needed for a productive home office—yours to keep after three years (terms and conditions apply).
Company at a glance
VALR is a global crypto exchange offering a secure, high-performance, easy-to-use trading platform, enabling professional and retail traders to buy, sell, store, stake and transact cryptocurrencies including bitcoin, ethereum, solana and more. Available on Mobile App and Web (valr.com).
Headquartered and licensed in South Africa, with approval to offer services in Europe, VALR has secured $55 million in equity funding from reputable investors like Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures and F-Prime, affiliated with Fidelity Investments. We now proudly serve over 1100 corporate and institutional clients, and more than 990,000 users globally.
TRADING ON VALR
Efficient markets: Trade a wide variety of crypto assets across VALR’s deeply liquid spot, spot margin, and perpetual futures markets, equipped with a range of order types and trading tools.
Yield products: Generate yield on your savings with our liquid staking solutions.
World-class API: VALR’s institutional-grade API solution offers real-time and historical market data, extensive governance features such as shared accounts, and high rate limits.
Easy currency conversion: Simply convert USD and other fiat currencies, including ZAR, to cryptocurrency through VALR’s Simple Buy/Sell swap terminal, by bank transfer, or over-the-counter platform.
Quick onboarding: Fully KYC and AML compliant, VALR’s automated onboarding process can be completed in minutes.
Competitive fees: VALR rewards liquidity providers. Market makers get paid to trade, while market takers enjoy low fees, discounts and lifetime commissions on referrals.
Customer support: We tailor our service based on the needs of our clients, offering 18 hours a day of online customer support, as well as private technical support channels for our corporate partners.
Top Benefits
- Professional development allowance
- Company training sessions
- Discretionary bonuses
- Preferential trading fees
- Flexible leave options
- Lunch provided at Johannesburg office
- Mac laptop
- Home office allowance
- Retreats
Tired of cold applications?
Sign up with Clera and we'll reach out the moment a role actually fits you — no more spraying applications into the void.
Know someone who'd be great for this?