Lead Counsel

Hypersonica; München; On-site; EUR 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Hypersonica seeks a qualified lawyer to draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements while advising engineering, commercial and supply chain teams. You will help shape contracting standards, templates, and approvals, and address IP, export controls, sanctions and security requirements relevant to Europe’s defence technology sector.

Fluency in English is essential; German qualification or language skills are a strong plus.

Qualifications

• 3+ years experience at a leading international or national law firm.
• Strong foundation in commercial contracts, IP, technology, regulatory or compliance matters.
• Able to engage credibly with engineers, commercial teams and senior leadership.
• Experience with compliance and regulatory topics such as export control, sanctions, end‑use restrictions, public procurement, security requirements or defence contracting.
• Highly organized, precise and reliable, pragmatic about material legal risks.
• Autonomous in a fast‑moving environment where processes are being built.
• Clear in communication, strong in judgement and able to give practical recommendations.
• Fluent in English; German law qualification or German language skills are a strong plus.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements including supplier, development, NDAs, MoUs.
• Serve as a pragmatic legal partner to engineering, commercial and supply chain teams; manage legal risk while moving fast.
• Support development and implementation of contracting standards, playbooks, templates and approvals.
• Advise on IP matters including ownership of foreground/background IP, licensing and invention processes.
• Support compliance and regulatory workstreams relevant to a defence tech company (export controls, sanctions, end-use restrictions, security requirements).
• Help build scalable internal compliance processes, policies and controls.
• Coordinate external counsel when required, ensuring practical, prioritized advice.
• Help create a fast, clear, commercially minded legal function deeply embedded in the business.

Skills

Commercial contracting

Intellectual property

Technology contracts

Regulatory/compliance

Contract risk management

English fluency

Education

German law qualification

Job description

Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability

At Hypersonica, we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast.

By joining Hypersonica, you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously.

We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence.

What you’ll do

• Own and support the drafting, review and negotiation of a broad range of commercial agreements, including supplier agreements, development agreements, NDAs, MoUs, etc.
• Act as a pragmatic legal partner to engineering, commercial, and supply chain teams, helping them move fast while managing legal and regulatory risk appropriately.
• Support the development and implementation of Hypersonica’s contracting standards, playbooks, templates and approval processes.
• Advise on IP matters, including ownership of foreground/background IP, licensing, invention processes, etc.
• Support compliance and regulatory workstreams relevant to a defence technology company, including export control, sanctions, end‑use restrictions, security requirements, public‑sector contracting requirements and customer‑specific compliance obligations.
• Help build scalable internal compliance processes, policies and controls.
• Support legal aspects of strategic projects, including international expansion and government‑facing initiatives.
• Coordinate external counsel where required, ensuring advice is practical, focused and aligned with the company’s priorities.
• Help create a legal function that is fast, clear, commercially minded and deeply embedded in the business.

Who you are

• A qualified lawyer, ideally including 3+ years of experience from a leading international or national law firm and a strong foundation in commercial contracts, IP, technology, regulatory or compliance matters.
• Comfortable working on technically complex matters and able to engage credibly with engineers, commercial teams and senior leadership.
• Interested in, or ideally already experienced with, compliance and regulatory topics such as export control, sanctions, end‑use restrictions, public procurement, security requirements or defence contracting.
• Highly organized, precise and reliable, but pragmatic enough to distinguish between material legal risks and theoretical edge cases.
• Able to operate autonomously in a fast‑moving environment where processes are being built while the company scales.
• Clear in communication, strong in judgement and comfortable giving practical recommendations.
• Motivated by building legal infrastructure that enables speed, trust and responsible execution.
• Fluent in English. German law qualification or German language skills are a strong plus, but not necessarily a requirement depending on experience.

Security and Eligibility Requirement

Due to the nature of Hypersonica’s work in defence technology, candidates may be required to undergo background checks, security screening or security clearance processes. The role may also require handling sensitive information subject to export control, sanctions, end‑use and national security restrictions.

What we offer

• A mission driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe’s most consequentialdefencechallenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security.
• Daily collaboration with top experts across engineering, operations, anddefence, with real opportunity to learn from the best, contribute, and grow.
• High ownership and autonomy; no time tracking, no micromanagement, justclearobjectivesand accountability for outcomes.
• Afast pacedenvironment wheregood ideasare implemented quickly, and feedback from test and flight drives real decisions.
• A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly.
• Competitive compensation and real share options aligned to responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.

At Hypersonica, every hire raises the bar. We are deliberately small, intensely capable, and deeply mission-driven.

Hypersonica is an equal-opportunity employer and assesses candidates solely on merit, capability, and potential.