General Counsel

SoSafe; Germany (OH); On-site; USD 125,599 - 194,107; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days PTO

Parental leave

Individual Development Budget

Wellbeing and financial support

Healthcare and pension plans

Virtual events and local meetups

Job summary

SoSafe is seeking a General Counsel to lead the legal team and act as the primary advisor to the leadership group. You will own the full legal function, including contracting, data protection, governance, and regulatory risk, partnering with Sales, Product and Information Security to enable the business.

You will oversee corporate governance, oversee external counsel, monitor GDPR/NIS2 and EU AI Act compliance, and translate complex laws into practical guidance for a scaling SaaS business.

Qualifications

• 8+ years post-qualification experience in a legal role.
• 3–5 years in commercial or contracting environment.
• Experience leading a team in SaaS/tech.
• Deep data protection law expertise.
• Fluent German and English (written and spoken).

Responsibilities

• Lead a legal team of 3 lawyers and set priorities.
• Oversee corporate governance, contracts, compliance, and regulatory risk.
• Partner with Sales and Information Security on regulatory matters.
• Monitor GDPR, NIS2, EU AI Act and translate into practical guidance.

Skills

Team leadership

SaaS experience

Data protection

German language

English language

Commercial contracting

Regulatory risk

Cybersecurity knowledge

Education

Second German State Exam (Volljurist)

Job description

SoSafe has the ambition to become the leading human risk management provider in Europe. Our award-winning awareness platform triggers behavioural change by providing effective and engaging training and simulations on cybersecurity and data protection. Cybercrime is costing the world over $10 trillion annually and growing by 15% per annum — we invite you to be part of the solution!

About The Role

As General Counsel, you will lead SoSafe's legal team of lawyers and act as the primary legal advisor to the leadership team. You will own the full legal function, from commercial contracting and data protection to corporate governance and regulatory risk, while acting as a true business partner to Sales, Product, and Information Security. You will also be responsible for all Company Risk and Compliance matters. This is a hands‑on, high‑visibility role for someone who wants to shape legal strategy at a scaling SaaS business, not just execute on it.

What You'll Do

Lead the Legal Team

• Manage and coach a team of 3 lawyers, setting clear priorities and fairly distributing work across the team
• Build a culture of collaboration, knowledge sharing and constructive feedback within the team
• Support the professional development of each team member and plan for the team's growth as the business scales

Own Legal Strategy and Governance

• Set the legal team's strategy and goals in line with SoSafe's broader company objectives
• Elevate on the market’s transition into AI and its application in the legal area
• Oversee all core legal functions: corporate governance, contracts, compliance, and regulatory risk management
• Provide legal advice and risk assessment across the business, acting as the final point of escalation on legal matters
• Ensure efficient internal processes and policies are in place and consistently followed
• Monitor changes in the legislative and regulatory environment across Germany, Austria and Switzerland (and EU wide, e.g. GDPR, NIS2, EU AI Act) and translate these into practical guidance for the business

Partner with the Business

• Act as a strategic partner to Sales, helping the team sell faster by supporting quoting, offer and contracting processes
• Partner closely with Information Security on cybersecurity related legal and regulatory matters
• Build strong working relationships across departments, making legal an enabler rather than a blocker
• Manage the relationship and information flow between our external DPO and internal teams
• Coordinate and manage external counsel where needed

Experience

• 8+ years post‑qualification experience, including 3‑5 years in a commercial or contracting environment
• Proven experience leading and developing a team
• Experience in SaaS or another technology business, with a solid understanding of technical and commercial dynamics
• Strong track record supporting Sales teams and commercial deal cycles
• Deep data protection law expertise
• Nice to have: experience in cybersecurity, working alongside Information Security teams, exposure to intellectual property law, and experience working with distributed/remote teams
• 2nd German State Examination (Volljurist)
• Fluent in German and English (written and spoken)

How You Work

• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to translate legal concepts into practical guidance for non‑lawyers
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
• Pragmatic, business‑oriented and hands‑on, comfortable working under pressure and to deadlines
• Well organized, detail conscious, and able to manage time and priorities independently
• Discreet and trustworthy when handling confidential information
• Comfortable working cross‑functionally in an interdisciplinary, fast‑paced environment

What We Offer

• 33 days paid time off (PTO)
• Wellbeing and financial support: Access to Open Up, corporate discounts
• Parental leave
• Individual Development Budget: a personal yearly budget to support your growth
• Wellness Benefit
• Healthcare and pension plans, availability varies by region
• Connection & community: Virtual events, collaborative team activities, and opportunities for local meet‑ups
• Perks and benefits listed above are for full‑time employees and may vary slightly by office location. These are just a sample—you’ll learn more during the interview process.