Legal Counsel (EU)

About the role

DroneShield’s European operations are anchored in Amsterdam, serving as a strategic hub supporting customers across the EU and broader region. The Amsterdam office plays a key role in strengthening regional partnerships, supporting customer engagements, and advancing DroneShield’s presence across European defence, security, and critical infrastructure markets. As demand for counter-drone capabilities continues to grow across Europe, the office supports localised engagement while contributing to the company’s broader global strategy.

We are seeking an Amsterdam‑based Legal Counsel with strong common law training to join our growing global legal function. The role reports directly to the General Counsel and will work closely with colleagues in Australia, the US, Europe, and the Middle East.

As DroneShield continues its rapid global expansion, this role is essential to ensure our legal frameworks keep pace with growth. You will play a key role in safeguarding the company’s interests, supporting strategic initiatives, and ensuring compliance across a complex international operating environment. Working closely with the business, you will enable innovation while managing legal risk.

This is a hands-on, business‑facing role designed for someone who enjoys autonomy, problem‑solving, and working across a wide spectrum of legal matters in a fast‑paced tech and defence environment.

Responsibilities, Duties and Expectations 

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including: technology supply contracts, distribution and reseller agreements, government procurement tenders, confidentiality and collaboration agreements.
• Support international corporate governance, compliance registrations, and subsidiary management.
• Advise on EU, UK, and Australian dual-use and defence export controls, working with internal compliance teams.
• Assist with licenses, end‑user documentation, sanctions screening, and cross‑border compliance processes.
• Support public-sector procurement processes across Europe.
• Provide guidance on regulatory frameworks applicable to defence, security, and critical‑infrastructure deployments.
• Contribute to internal compliance frameworks across NATO, privacy, cybersecurity, trade compliance, and other emerging regulatory domains.
• Assist in developing internal legal policies, templates, and training materials.
• Manage external counsel where required for disputes, employment matters, or local regulatory issues.
• Support IP protection, licensing, and enforcement in collaboration with engineering and product teams.

Qualifications, Experience and Skills 

• Qualified lawyer in a common law jurisdiction (Australia, Ireland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, etc.).
• Understanding of and experience with EU regulatory frameworks.
• 5 –7+ years post‑qualification experience, ideally with a mix of law firm and in‑house work.
• Strong experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently across multiple time zones and business units.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Highly Desirable

• Experience in defence, security, aerospace, technology, or other government‑facing industries.
• Familiarity with international trade compliance or government contracting.
• Ability to manage workload across varying priorities in a scale‑up environment.

Note for recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters unless specifically instructed.