Senior Legal Counsel

horizonquantum; Dublin; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Horizon Quantum seeks a strategic Senior Legal Counsel (Director level) to lead global legal and compliance efforts. You will report to the Chief Legal and Compliance Officer and guide executive decisions, ensuring adherence to international laws and corporate governance across markets.

Responsibilities span cross-border transactions, regulatory compliance, data privacy, and employment law, with a focus on scalable policies and proactive risk management for a fast-growing quantum software

Qualifications

• 7+ years PQE in related legal field.
• In-house experience of 3+ years preferred.
• Experience with US-listed companies is advantageous.
• Strong expertise in international corporate law and global compliance.
• Proven track record in managing cross-border transactions and regulatory matters.

Responsibilities

• Executive advisory: provide business-focused legal advice to the executive team on risks, disclosures, regulatory changes, and compliance.
• Policy development: draft and maintain corporate policies reflecting the international legal landscape.
• Dispute resolution: manage litigation, arbitration, and regulatory disputes.

Skills

Commercial Law

Intellectual Property

Cross-border transactions

Data privacy

Regulatory compliance

Leadership

Job description

We are seeking a strategic and experienced Senior Legal Counsel (Director level) to join our legal and compliance team. Reporting to the Chief Legal and Compliance Officer and Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives who is based in Ireland, this role is critical to navigating the complex legal landscape of our international markets and ensuring that our operations, partnerships, and strategies adhere to the highest legal and ethical standards globally.

The ideal candidate brings a deep understanding of commercial law, intellectual property, cross-border transactions, international trade, data privacy, and global regulatory frameworks, paired with a proven track record of designing and implementing effective compliance programs.

Responsibilities

Strategic Legal Counsel

• Executive Advisory: Provide actionable, business-focused legal advice to the executive team on legal risks, disclosure obligations, regulatory changes, and compliance matters.
• Policy Development: Draft and maintain corporate policies that reflect the evolving international legal landscape.
• Dispute Resolution: Manage litigation, arbitration, and regulatory disputes to protect the Company’s interests.

International Law & Operations

• Cross-Border Transactions: Draft, review, and negotiate a range of commercial contracts impacting the Company, such as international commercial agreements, licensing deals, and vendor contracts.
• Local Entity Management: Oversee the legal health and corporate governance of international subsidiaries, ensuring all local filings and statutory requirements are met.
• Employment & Labor Law: Advise HR on international labour laws, employment contracts, and global workforce restructuring.
• Board and Committee Preparation: Assist internal stakeholders and the Company Secretary in preparing for quarterly and ad hoc meetings.
• Projects: Participation in ad hoc regulatory and business projects.

Global Compliance & Risk Management

• Compliance Programmes: Design, implement, and oversee a comprehensive global corporate compliance program, ensuring alignment with international standards and local regulations.
• Regulatory Adherence: Ensure strict compliance with international anti-corruption laws (e.g., FCPA, UK Bribery Act), global trade compliance, sanctions, and export controls.
• Data Privacy: Partner with internal teams to manage global data privacy compliance, including GDPR, PDPA, and other regional data protection laws.
• Audits & Investigations: Lead internal compliance audits and manage investigations into potential compliance breaches or ethical violations.
• Training & Ethics: Develop and deliver ongoing compliance training for global employees and promote a culture of ethics and integrity across the organization.

Requirements

• At least 7 years’ PQE of related legal experience, preferably with a minimum of 3+ years operating in an in-house role.
• Experience with US listed companies is a significant advantage.
• Demonstrated expertise in international corporate law and global compliance.
• Proven experience managing cross-border transactions and dealing with regulatory bodies in multiple jurisdictions (e.g., EMEA, APAC, NA).

• Deep knowledge of international trade, anti-bribery regulations, and data privacy frameworks.
• Exceptional negotiation, drafting and communication skills, with a keen eye for risk mitigation.
• Strong business acumen; able to balance legal constraints with commercial objectives.
• Risk management experience is an advantage.
• Excellent cross-cultural communication skills and the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of a global organization.
• Highly motivated, pragmatic, solutions-oriented business partner.

About The Company

At Horizon Quantum, our mission is to unlock broad quantum advantage by building the software infrastructure that empowers developers to use quantum computing to solve the world’s toughest computational problems. We're bridging the gap between today’s quantum hardware and tomorrow’s applications through the creation of advanced software development tools. Triple Alpha, our integrated development environment, enables developers to write sophisticated, hardware-agnostic quantum programs at multiple levels of abstraction. Learn more at www.horizonquantum.com.