Legal Counsel

Harmattan AI; Paris; Sur place; EUR 110 000 - 150 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Harmattan AI in Paris is seeking a commercially minded Legal Counsel to join our legal team. Reporting to the General Counsel, you will be a hands-on business partner to Sales and cross-functional teams, with a focus on French-speaking markets and strategic growth.

You will draft, review and negotiate complex commercial contracts, advise on export controls, sanctions, AI, data, cybersecurity and IP issues, and help build scalable contracting standards to support the business as it expands across

Qualifications

• Qualified attorney or in-house counsel with ~5 years' relevant experience.
• Native-level French and fluent English.
• Strong track record drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts.
• Solid grounding in contract and corporate law.
• Genuine interest in defence, dual-use tech, AI or other regulated sectors.
• Comfortable with senior stakeholders and fast-moving, high-stakes work.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain any security clearance or authorization required for the role.
• LL.M. from a US or UK institution, or exposure to defence/public-procurement/export-control matters, is a plus.

Responsabilités

• Draft, review and negotiate customer, partnership, and procurement agreements.
• Support complex negotiations with defence ministries, armed forces, public-sector bodies and industrial partners.
• Build scalable contracting standards, playbooks and approval processes.
• Advise on legal and regulatory issues around autonomous and AI-enabled defence systems.
• Work with the General Counsel on export-control, sanctions and trade-compliance matters.
• Advise on AI, data, cybersecurity and IP issues as they affect the business.
• Coordinate external local counsel and manage legal spend.
• Help build the legal processes and templates that let the business scale.

Connaissances

French

English

Contract negotiation

Formation

LL.M. (US/UK)

Description du poste

About Us

Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.

Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.

About the Role

We're looking for a commercially minded Legal Counsel to join our legal team in Paris. Reporting to the General Counsel, you'll be a hands-on legal business partner to Sales and teams across the company, with a particular focus on French-speaking markets. This is a broad in-house role for a lawyer who enjoys working close to the business and is motivated by Harmattan AI's mission.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial & Procurement

• Draft, review and negotiate customer, partnership, supply and procurement agreements, including defence-procurement documentation among others

• Support complex negotiations with defence ministries, armed forces, public-sector bodies and industrial partners

• Build scalable contracting standards, playbooks and approval processes

Defence, AI & Regulated Technology

• Advise on legal and regulatory issues around autonomous and AI-enabled defence systems

• Work with the General Counsel on export-control, sanctions and trade-compliance matters

• Advise on AI, data, cybersecurity and IP issues as they affect the business

Corporate & Governance

• Support entity governance, board documentation and statutory filings across French-speaking markets

• Support employment matters alongside the People team and external counsel

• Manage disputes and pre-litigation matters with a focus on early risk assessment

French-Speaking Markets

• Act as principal legal advisor for expansion across French-speaking markets

• Coordinate external local counsel and manage legal spend

• Help build the legal processes and templates that let the business scale

Requirements

• Qualified attorney or in-house legal counsel with ~5 years' relevant experience across a law firm and in-house/tech or defence environment

• Native-level French and fluent professional English;

• Strong track record drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts

• Solid grounding in contract and corporate law

• Genuine interest in defence, dual-use tech, AI or other regulated sectors

• Comfortable with senior stakeholders and fast-moving, high-stakes work

• Eligible to obtain and maintain any security clearance or authorization required for the role, subject to applicable law.

• LL.M. from a US or UK institution, or exposure to defence/public-procurement/export-control matters, is a plus.

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.