Deputy General Counsel

SQC Silicon Quatum Computing; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

SQC Silicon Quatum Computing is seeking a Deputy General Counsel to lead the Australian legal function from Sydney. You will advise the CEO and executive team, support the Board, and serve as Australian Company Secretary, shaping governance, compliance and risk in a fast-moving deep-tech company.

You will manage corporate and commercial matters, capital raising, cross-border collaborations and regulatory obligations, partnering with HR and external counsel to move quickly while maintaining

Qualifications

• Admitted to practice in Australia and holds a current practising certificate.
• Substantial post-qualification experience in corporate/commercial law.
• Deep expertise in Australian corporate law, governance and transactional work.

Responsibilities

• Lead corporate and commercial legal matters for Australian entities, including capital raising and structuring.
• Provide governance support to the Board and its committees, and manage director duties and compliance.
• Act as Company Secretary, coordinating board meetings and statutory filings.
• Advise on regulatory obligations and governance across jurisdictions as the business scales.
• Draft, negotiate and manage cross-border technology, manufacturing and partnership agreements.
• Support privacy, data protection and cybersecurity governance and incident response.
• Oversee export controls, trade compliance and national security obligations.
• Provide autonomous, clear legal guidance to executives under real-time pressure.
• Instruct external counsel and build scalable processes and playbooks with AI-enabled workflows.

Skills

Legal leadership

Australian corporate law

Capital raising

Governance expertise

Company secretary

Contract negotiation

Education

Qualified lawyer in Australia

Tools

Legal research tools

Contract management software

Job description

2d ago , from SQC Silicon Quatum Computing

Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) is at the forefront of global efforts to build the world’s first commercial-scale quantum computer, while delivering quantum-enhanced AI and simulation products to customers today.

Backed by over 25 years of technological excellence, SQC is a full-stack quantum computing company that leverages its proprietary manufacturing process to engineer atomic qubits in silicon with 0.13 nanometer precision. It is the most precise semiconductor manufacturing in the world, enabling systems with world-leading algorithmic fidelity, and a decisive advantage in the global quantum computing race.

Our products are commercially deployed and generating revenue. Watermelon, our quantum-enhanced AI system, is delivering superior results on real-world problems across energy, telecom and finance. Quantum Twins, our simulation platform, provides unparalleled ability to model quantum systems, accelerating molecule and materials discovery.

This is SQC: building the future of computing while delivering quantum impact today.

Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) is at the forefront of global efforts to build the world’s first commercial-scale quantum computer, while delivering quantum-enhanced AI and simulation products to customers today.

Backed by over 25 years of technological excellence, SQC is a full-stack quantum computing company that leverages its proprietary manufacturing process to engineer atomic qubits in silicon with 0.13 nanometer precision. It is the most precise semiconductor manufacturing in the world, enabling systems with world-leading algorithmic fidelity, and a decisive advantage in the global quantum computing race.

Our products are commercially deployed and generating revenue. Watermelon, our quantum-enhanced AI system, is delivering superior results on real-world problems across energy, telecom and finance. Quantum Twins, our simulation platform, provides unparalleled ability to model quantum systems, accelerating molecule and materials discovery.

This is SQC: building the future of computing while delivering quantum impact today.

About the role

SQC's Legal & Governance function underpins the corporate, governance and commercial architecture that supports the company's next phase of growth. As Deputy General Counsel, you will be the senior legal leader on the ground in Australia, working alongside the Chief Legal Officer to lead that function across the business.

You will hold day-to-day carriage of the corporate and commercial legal work that keeps a fast-moving deep-tech company moving: advising the CEO and executive team, supporting the Board, and bringing deep Australian corporate law expertise to capital raising, corporate structuring, governance and complex commercial arrangements.

You will act as a trusted deputy to the Chief Legal Officer on the full legal, governance and risk agenda, and serve as an Australian-based Company Secretary alongside the Chief Legal Officer.

This is a role for a senior lawyer who can operate with autonomy and sound judgement, move fluidly between strategic counsel and hands-on execution, and give the business clear, commercial answers under real time pressure.

Role responsibilities

• Lead corporate and commercial legal matters across SQC's Australian entities, including capital raising, corporate structuring and strategic transactions
• Provide corporate governance support to the Board and its Committees, including directors' duties, disclosure, conflicts and compliance under the Corporations Act
• Act as Company Secretary, including convening Board and Committee meetings, preparing agendas and minutes, maintaining statutory registers and managing corporate filings and lodgements
• Advise on corporate compliance and regulatory obligations as the business scales, including governance, reporting and record-keeping requirements across relevant jurisdictions
• Draft, negotiate and manage commercial agreements, including technology, manufacturing, partnership and cross-border collaboration arrangements
• Support privacy, data protection and cybersecurity governance, including cross-border data considerations and incident response
• Provide legal support on export controls, trade compliance and national security obligations across relevant jurisdictions
• Advise on Australian employment and workplace legal matters, including confidentiality obligations, restraints and sensitive workplace issues, in partnership with HR
• Manage disputes, investigations and regulatory engagement affecting the Australian business
• Deputise for the Chief Legal Officer across the legal, governance and risk agenda, providing senior legal leadership in the Australian time zone
• Instruct external counsel with discipline on cost and quality, and help build scalable processes, playbooks and AI-enabled ways of working that let the business move quickly while maintaining appropriate controls

Your experience

• Admitted to practise law in Australia, with a current or readily obtainable practising certificate
• Substantial post-qualification experience in corporate and commercial law, gained at a leading law firm, in-house, or both
• Deep expertise in Australian corporate law, including the Corporations Act, governance and transactional work
• Experience with capital raising, M&A or complex corporate transactions highly regarded
• Company secretarial experience, or the readiness to take on the Company Secretary role
• Strong commercial contracting skills across technology, manufacturing or cross-border arrangements
• Sound commercial judgement and the ability to advise with autonomy and clarity in a fast-moving environment
• Experience working across jurisdictions, or alongside a global or US-based legal function, an advantage

Equal opportunity

SQC is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse perspectives and experiences, and encourage applications from candidates who may not meet every listed requirement. If you’re excited about the role and believe you can contribute, we encourage you to apply.

Export controls

This position may require access to export-controlled information or technology. Employment may be subject to applicable export control laws and may require eligibility assessment based on factors such as nationality, citizenship, or residency, and, where necessary, obtaining relevant export licenses or approvals.

About SQC

SQC was founded by renowned physicist and materials scientist Michelle Simmons, who pioneered the field of atomic electronics, including the development of the world’s first single-atom transistor and the first integrated circuit built with atomic precision. Our Chair, Simon Segars, former CEO of Arm, is a leader in the semiconductor industry and was instrumental in developing the processors that powered the mobile computing revolution.

As a full-stack company with in-house QPU manufacturing, SQC can design, produce and test new quantum chips in under a week, enabling rapid iteration and a decisive advantage in the race to build the world’s first commercial-scale quantum computer.

SQC is a high-accountability environment built on a simple principle: Every Atom Counts. If you’re looking to play a meaningful role in building the next frontier of computing, we’d love to hear from you.