Head of Legal & Compliance

Baseyard; Braga; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance after probation

Competitive salary

Job summary

BASEYARD is seeking a pragmatic Head of Legal & Compliance to lead the legal and regulatory activities and build the compliance framework for a growing defence and dual-use technology company in Portugal.

You will drive contract negotiations, corporate governance, GDPR compliance, export controls, and coordinate external counsel from Braga-based offices. English and Portuguese language skills are essential for international operations.

Qualifications

• Law degree and solid experience in commercial and corporate law.
• Experience negotiating international B2B contracts.
• Strong understanding of corporate governance and compliance frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead legal, regulatory and compliance activities across the company.
• Draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements, including customer, supplier, partnership and technology contracts.
• Establish internal compliance policies, procedures and controls.
• Manage defence and dual-use regulatory requirements, including export controls, sanctions and licensing.
• Support corporate governance, intellectual property, GDPR and contractual risk management.
• Coordinate external legal counsel and advise management on legal and compliance matters.

Skills

Commercial law

Corporate governance

International contracts

Legal advice

Bilingual English/Portuguese

Education

Law degree

Job description

BASEYARD is building a next-generation industrial ecosystem for defence and dual-use technologies in Portugal. Our mission is to help advanced technology companies industrialise, manufacture, and scale unmanned systems, mission-critical platforms, electronics, and integrated defence technologies.

As an advanced manufacturing and industrialisation hub, BASEYARD supports customers throughout the product lifecycle, from engineering and prototyping to industrialisation, serial production, testing, maintenance, and global delivery.

We're looking for a practical and business-minded Head of Legal & Compliance to lead our legal and regulatory activities and build the compliance framework for a growing company in the defence and dual-use technology sector.

What you'll do

• Lead legal, regulatory and compliance activities across the company.
• Draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements, including customer, supplier, partnership and technology contracts.
• Establish internal compliance policies, procedures and controls.
• Manage defence and dual-use regulatory requirements, including export controls, sanctions and licensing.
• Support corporate governance, intellectual property, GDPR and contractual risk management.
• Coordinate external legal counsel and advise management on legal and compliance matters.

What we're looking for

• Law degree and solid experience in commercial and corporate law.
• Experience negotiating international B2B contracts.
• Strong understanding of corporate governance and compliance frameworks.
• Ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice.
• Excellent communication skills in English and Portuguese.

Nice to have: Experience in defence, aerospace, advanced technology, export controls or international regulatory compliance.

What we offer

The opportunity to build the legal and compliance function from the ground up, working closely with leadership on international projects and strategic decisions.

Competitive salary and health insurance after the probation period.

Health insurance after the probation period.

A role based at BASEYARD's industrial facility in Braga, Portugal.