Legal Counsel

Harmattan AI; Paris (TX); On-site; USD 102,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Harmattan AI in Paris is seeking a commercially minded Legal Counsel to join our growing legal team. You will work closely with Sales and other business units, focusing on French-speaking markets, and provide practical, risk-aware advice on contracts, regulatory issues, and governance.

This hands-on role requires a strong contract drafting background, comfort with senior stakeholders, and an interest in defence and AI.

Qualifications

• Qualified attorney with about 5 years’ experience in law firm and in-house/tech or defence.
• Native-level French and fluent English.
• Strong track record drafting and negotiating complex contracts.
• Solid grounding in contract and corporate law.
• Genuine interest in defence, dual-use tech, AI or other regulated sectors.
• Comfortable with senior stakeholders and fast-moving, high-stakes work.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain security clearance as required by law.
• LL.M. from a US or UK institution is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate customer, partnership, supply and procurement agreements, including defence-procurement documentation.
• Advise on legal and regulatory issues around autonomous and AI-enabled defence systems.
• Coordinate external local counsel and manage legal spend across French-speaking markets.
• Support entity governance, board documentation and statutory filings.
• Manage disputes and pre-litigation matters with risk assessment at the forefront.

Skills

French fluency

English fluency

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Education

LL.M. degree

Job description

About Us

Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.

Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.

About the Role

We're looking for a commercially minded Legal Counsel to join our legal team in Paris. Reporting to the General Counsel, you'll be a hands-on legal business partner to Sales and teams across the company, with a particular focus on French-speaking markets. This is a broad in-house role for a lawyer who enjoys working close to the business and is motivated by Harmattan AI's mission.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial & Procurement

• Draft, review and negotiate customer, partnership, supply and procurement agreements, including defence-procurement documentation among others

• Support complex negotiations with defence ministries, armed forces, public-sector bodies and industrial partners

• Build scalable contracting standards, playbooks and approval processes

Defence, AI & Regulated Technology

• Advise on legal and regulatory issues around autonomous and AI-enabled defence systems

• Work with the General Counsel on export-control, sanctions and trade-compliance matters

• Advise on AI, data, cybersecurity and IP issues as they affect the business

Corporate & Governance

• Support entity governance, board documentation and statutory filings across French-speaking markets

• Support employment matters alongside the People team and external counsel

• Manage disputes and pre-litigation matters with a focus on early risk assessment

French-Speaking Markets

• Act as principal legal advisor for expansion across French-speaking markets

• Coordinate external local counsel and manage legal spend

• Help build the legal processes and templates that let the business scale

Requirements

• Qualified attorney or in-house legal counsel with ~5 years' relevant experience across a law firm and in-house/tech or defence environment

• Native-level French and fluent professional English;

• Strong track record drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts

• Solid grounding in contract and corporate law

• Genuine interest in defence, dual-use tech, AI or other regulated sectors

• Comfortable with senior stakeholders and fast-moving, high-stakes work

• Eligible to obtain and maintain any security clearance or authorization required for the role, subject to applicable law.

• LL.M. from a US or UK institution, or exposure to defence/public-procurement/export-control matters, is a plus.

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.