Interim Head of Legal and Regulatory

i tsme® has fundamentally changed how people lead their digital lives in Belgium , but we are not stopping there! Do you want to be a driving force to help expand on this success story as part of a talented team that is making a positive impact on society? Then keep on reading, you’ll probably like what you’ll see. We are itsme®, one of Europe’s fastest-growing scale-ups , counting 100 team members and growing. Our mission: providing a state-of-the-art digital identity solution to all people, enabling them to interact securely in the digital space. Now, only five years after being founded, close to 8 million citizens use the itsme® app , to identify themselves and sign documents online. Starting in Belgium, we successfully launched the itsme app in 17 European countries, with the ambition of becoming an internationally leading player . We are seeking a highly motivated and ambitious legal leader with regulatory expertise to join our Corporate Affairs team on an interim maternity cover . This fixed-term role runs for 8 months from March 2026 to October 2026 and offers a fantastic opportunity to lead the Legal & Regulatory team, providing clear guidance on legal matters and the regulatory frameworks that shape our industry. You will play a key role in strengthening and further developing the legal function to support itsme®’s ambitious growth, ensuring a robust legal foundation for scalable, compliant expansion during this period. What your job looks like Interim legal strategy & advisory: Provide day-to-day legal and regulatory leadership during the maternity cover period, ensuring continuity of advice and decision-making. Maintain and progress the existing legal and regulatory roadmap in line with itsme®’s business objectives, while identifying and escalating key risks. Advise on priority matters supporting product development and international expansion, including high-level assessments of legal and regulatory frameworks in new markets. Contract management and negotiation: Ensure seamless oversight of ongoing contracting activity. Support and supervise the drafting, review, and negotiation of commercial and other agreements, prioritising business-critical deals. Ensure contracts meet internal standards and comply with applicable laws, and flag items requiring longer-term structural input for post-cover follow-up. Regulatory compliance: Lead the maintenance of compliance with applicable regulations and industry standards (e.g., eIDAS, GDPR, PSD2/3, AML, DORA, NIS2 and ESG) throughout the interim period. Monitor regulatory developments, assess immediate impacts on the business, and implement or recommend necessary short-term actions. Represent the company in regulatory discussions as needed, ensuring alignment with the existing compliance approach and preparing clear handover notes on upcoming obligations. Corporate venturing and governance : Provide interim support on partnership structures and entity set-up in Belgium or abroad, ensuring matters move forward without disruption. Maintain corporate governance routines, including legal input to board and shareholder meeting preparation, and ensure decisions are properly documented and compliant. Intellectual Property management : Oversee the ongoing protection of itsme®’s IP and proprietary technology, ensuring continuity of filings, renewals, and enforcement actions. Manage any active disputes or litigation with external counsel, and document strategic IP decisions for handover. Team leadership & continuity : Provide interim leadership to the in-house legal team, ensuring stability, clear prioritisation, and timely delivery during the cover period. Manage and coordinate external counsel on specialised or time-sensitive matters, keeping workstreams moving and ensuring a structured transition at the end of the assignment.