Legal Counsel – Central Europe

Vanderlande Industries GmbH; Netherlands; On-site; EUR 76,000 - 98,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Lease car (allowance)

Hybrid workplace

40 vacation days

Health & wellbeing budget

Commuting allowance

Pension scheme

Job summary

Vanderlande Industries GmbH is seeking an experienced Legal Counsel to support our Airports and Distribution units across Benelux and DACH. The role, based in Veghel or Nuremberg, involves advising on complex contracts, bid processes, governance and insurance programs. Requires a Master’s in Law, 5+ years’ international experience, fluency in English and German, and willingness to travel. The package includes a competitive monthly salary with extensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Law degree (Master’s or equivalent).
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in international environments or top-tier law firms.
• Experience in project business, engineering, infrastructure, logistics, or similar industries.
• Proven contract drafting and negotiation experience with complex commercial agreements.
• Strong risk assessment and mitigation skills in project contexts.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills; business mindset.
• Ability to work in a dynamic international setting and manage multiple stakeholders.
• Occasional travel is required.
• Fluent in English and German (Dutch preferred).

Responsibilities

• Provide pragmatic legal advice to the Benelux and DACH business on projects.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts for customers and suppliers.
• Support tender and bid processes, identifying and mitigating risks.
• Guide internal approvals in line with Vanderlande governance and policies.
• Collaborate with Sales, Project Management, Procurement and Finance for balanced outcomes.
• Provide legal input across the project lifecycle from bid to delivery.
• Deliver training on legal topics, contract management and risk awareness.
• Serve as subject-matter expert for the corporate insurance program.

Skills

English & German

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Risk assessment

Stakeholder management

Education

Master’s in Law

Job description

Please note: this role can be based either in our Veghel (the Netherlands) office or our Nuremberg (Germany) office.

We are looking for a Legal Counsel to support our business in the Airports and Distribution domains, mainly across the Benelux and DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). In this role, you will act as a trusted legal advisor, supporting both customer-facing and supplier-related activities throughout the project lifecycle.

Your Responsibilities

As Legal Counsel - Central Europe, you will:

• Provide pragmatic, solution-oriented legal advice to the business for projects in Benelux and DACH
• Draft, review, comment on, and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts, both on the customer and supplier side
• Support and advise on tender and bid processes, including identification and mitigation of legal risks
• Guide and support the internal approval process, ensuring compliance with Vanderlande’s governance and policies
• Collaborate closely with business stakeholders (Sales, Project Management, Procurement, Finance) to achieve balanced commercial and legal outcomes
• Deliver legal input throughout the project lifecycle – from bid stage to contract execution and project delivery in close co-operation with Contract Management and Project Management
• Provide training and guidance to business teams on legal topics, contract management, and risk awareness
• Act as the subject matter expert for the world-wide, corporate insurance program.

Your profile

• Law degree (Master’s or equivalent)
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience, ideally in an international corporate environment or leading law firm
• Proven experience in project business (preferably in engineering, infrastructure, logistics, or comparable industries)
• Strong experience in contract drafting and negotiation (complex commercial agreements)
• Sound understanding of risk assessment and mitigation in project environments
• Excellent analytical and communication skills with a pragmatic, business-oriented mindset
• Ability to work in a dynamic, international environment and manage multiple stakeholders
• Occasional travelwill berequired.
• Fluency in English & German (written and spoken), preferably fluent in Dutch

What do we offer?

This position offers a competitive salary range of € 6.800 to € 8.800 per month (excluding 8% holiday allowance).

On top of your fixedsalaryyou’llreceive the following secondary benefits:

• 40 vacation days (20 statutory days and a flexible budget worth 20 days).
• Lease car (allowance)
• Flexible working hours.
• A hybrid workplace (40% working from home and 60% in the office).
• A Health & Wellbeing budget worth €300,- per calendar year.
• Commuting allowance, including full reimbursement of travel by public transport.
• Working from home allowance.
• Collective pension scheme and discount on additional health insurance.
• On-site company health centres with a gym, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
• Vanderlande Academy and training facilities to boost your skills.
• A variety in Vanderlande Network communities and initiatives.
• And a great company restaurant and coffee bar with barista.

Diversity & Inclusion

Vanderlande embraces diversity in all its forms. We welcome qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability status.

Background screening

For this position it is possible that a background screening will be conducted. This screening can include checks such as verification of identity, qualifications or other relevant records, which may include criminal background or sanctions list checks, in accordance with our internal policies and applicable laws. Any job offer may be extended under the condition that the screening does not give reason to reconsider the hiring decision. Candidates will always be informed about the process and their rights before any screening is initiated.