Legal Counsel

DroneShield; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

DroneShield’s Amsterdam-based office seeks an experienced Amsterdam-based Legal Counsel to join our growing global legal function and report to the General Counsel. You will collaborate with teams across Australia, the US, Europe, and the Middle East to safeguard the company’s interests while enabling growth in a fast-paced tech and defence environment.

You will draft and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements; advise on EU, UK, and Australian export controls; oversee licenses,

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with common law training and eligibility to practice in relevant jurisdictions.
• Experience with EU regulatory frameworks and export controls.
• Proven ability to draft, review, and negotiate large-scale commercial contracts.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
• Ability to work autonomously across multiple time zones and teams.
• Prior experience in defence, security, aerospace, or government-facing sectors.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Common law training

EU regulatory experience

Contract drafting

English proficiency

Independent work across time zones

Defense/security industry experience

Education

Qualified lawyer in common law jurisdiction

Job description

Work with cutting-edge AI technology that helps make the world a safer and more secure place. DroneShield (ASX:DRO) develops market-leading counter-drone solutions used by military organisations, government agencies, airports, critical infrastructure operators, and law enforcement operating in some of the most challenging and high-stakes environments in the world. Employees work at the forefront of innovation, solving complex technical problems and delivering mission-critical capabilities where performance, reliability, and speed matter.

As an ASX200-listed company and the world's only publicly listed pure-play counter-drone business, DroneShield is experiencing rapid growth. Revenue increased from A$57 million in 2024 to more than A$217 million in 2025, supported by record profitability, a global sales pipeline exceeding A$2.5 billion, and annual R&D investment of over A$50 million.

Since 2017, DroneShield has grown from 11 employees to more than 550 globally, with operations across Australia, the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, supporting customers in over 70 countries.

DroneShield's Amsterdam office serves as the company's European hub, supporting regional customers, partnerships, and growth across defence, security, and critical infrastructure markets.

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
• 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.

Data Privacy

DroneShield Group Pty Ltd collects and processes personal information for recruitment and hiring purposes. Where applicable, personal information is processed on the basis of DroneShield's legitimate interests in assessing and selecting candidates for employment. For further information regarding how we collect, use, disclose, store and retain personal information, including your privacy rights, please refer to our Privacy Policy: https://www.droneshield.com/privacy-policy