Senior Legal Counsel

Amadeus North America; Miami (FL); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Amadeus North America is seeking Associate General Counsel for the Americas Airline IT to act as a trusted legal adviser on complex commercial technology transactions. You will independently structure, draft and negotiate sophisticated agreements, balancing commercial objectives with risk, privacy and regulatory considerations.

The role reports to the General Counsel, Americas Airline IT and leads multidisciplinary deal teams in negotiations, while mentoring legal professionals and business

Qualifications

• JD/LLB/LLM with bar admission in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• 8+ years post-qualification experience in a law firm or multinational in-house setting.
• Experience leading complex commercial and technology transactions, including SaaS, cloud and outsourcing.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic, high-value transactions for airline IT with cross-functional teams.
• Structure and draft master agreements, SaaS, outsourcing, licenses and related documents.
• Provide strategic legal advice to executives and business partners.
• Manage governance, privacy, cybersecurity, IP and regulatory considerations.

Skills

Lead counsel experience

SaaS & cloud contracting

Contract structuring & drafting

English proficiency

Generative AI in legal work

Multinational in-house experience

Legal risk management

Stakeholder management

Education

JD/LLB/LLM

Tools

Microsoft Office

AI tools (generative)

Job description

Associate General Counsel, Americas Airline IT

Associate General Counsel, Americas Airline IT serves as a trusted legal advisor to Amadeus business leaders and commercial teams on complex commercial, technology, SaaS, outsourcing and services transactions. The role reports to the General Counsel, Americas Airline IT and leads the legal aspects of strategic and business-critical transactions with airline customers and partners, independently structures, drafts and negotiates sophisticated agreements, and balances commercial objectives with legal, compliance and operational requirements.

Summary of the role:

The position operates with a high degree of autonomy, exercises sound legal and business judgment, manages legal risk effectively, and leads multidisciplinary deal teams through negotiation preparation, live customer negotiations and executive escalations.

TRANSACTION LEADERSHIP

Lead legal support for strategic, high-value and complex transactions involving airline customers, technology partners and other stakeholders. Independently negotiate commercial, SaaS, software licensing, professional services, outsourcing, hosting, cloud and related technology agreements. Manage legal support across the transaction lifecycle from opportunity assessment and bid review through drafting, negotiation, escalation, signature, implementation and post-signature matters. Identify risks and develop practical mitigation strategies.

CONTRACT STRUCTURING AND DRAFTING

Structure innovative commercial arrangements supporting business objectives. Draft, review and negotiate sophisticated master agreements, SaaS agreements, outsourcing arrangements, strategic partnerships, software licenses, services agreements and related documents. Develop templates, playbooks and negotiation guidance. Advise on contractual rights, obligations, liabilities and risk allocation.

DEAL TEAM LEADERSHIP

Lead and coordinate cross-functional deal teams during negotiation preparation and actual customer negotiations. Establish workstreams, organize stakeholder alignment, develop negotiation strategies and approval positions, and manage legal and commercial escalations. Mentor legal professionals and business stakeholders.

BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP AND STRATEGIC ADVICE

Serve as a trusted advisor to commercial, product, delivery, finance, procurement and executive stakeholders. Translate complex legal issues into clear, actionable recommendations. Support strategic initiatives, product developments and new business opportunities through proactive, solution-oriented advice.

RISK MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE

Support implementation of contracting policies, governance procedures and compliance requirements. Identify and elevate material risks and recommend risk acceptance or mitigation strategies. Collaborate with specialists in privacy, cybersecurity, intellectual property, regulatory, tax and competition matters.

About the ideal candidate:

• University degree in law (for example, JD, LLB or LLM) and qualification to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• At least 8 years of post-qualification legal experience in alaw firm and/or multinational in-house legal department, including significant experience as lead counsel on sophisticated commercial and technology transactions.
• Strong understanding of commercial contracting principles, technology business models and risk allocation. Ability to balance legal, operational and compliance requirements with commercial objectives. Experience supporting airline, SaaS, software, cloud, outsourcing or enterprise technology businesses. Strong understanding of the global travel technology industry and Amadeus business preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and standard legal and business technology tools. Proven ability to use generative AI solutions in day to day work. Full professional proficiency in English. Additional language skills are an advantage.
• High level of skill in contract structuring and drafting. Expert negotiation capability across complex SaaS, software, outsourcing, cloud, professional services and technology transactions. Strong knowledge of contract governance, approval processes and legal risk management.
• Excellent legal judgment and business acumen. Ability to operate independently with minimal supervision. Strong project management, organization, writing, oral communication and presentation skills. Ability to build trusted relationships with senior leaders, customers and cross-functional stakeholders. Solution-oriented, responsive and commercially practical approach.

Working at Amadeus

• A critical mission and purpose - At Amadeus, you will be powering the future of travel and pursuing a critical mission and extraordinary purpose.
• A truly global DNA - Everything at Amadeus is global, from our people to our business, which translates into our footprint, processes, and culture.
• Great opportunities to learn - Learning happens all the time and in many ways at Amadeus, through on-the-job training, formal learning activities, and day-to-day interactions with colleagues.
• A caring environment - Amadeus fosters a caring environment, nurturing both a fulfilling career and personal and family life. We care about our employees and strive to provide a supportive work environment.
• A complete rewards offer - Amadeus provides attractive remuneration packages, covering all essential components of a competitive reward offer, including salary, bonus, equity, and benefits.
• A flexible working model - We want our employees to do their best work, wherever and however it works best for them.
• A diverse and inclusive community - We are committed to leveraging our uniquely diverse population to drive innovation, creativity, and collaboration across our organization.
• A Reliable Company - Trust and reliability are fundamental values that drive our actions and shape long-lasting relationships with our customers, partners, and employees.

Diversity & Inclusion

Amadeus is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition), ancestry, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veterans status, sexual orientation, gender expression, perception, or identity, marital status, mental or physical disability status, or any other protected federal, state, or local status unrelated to performance of work involved.

Position: Permanent, Hybrid

Location: Miami FL, Dallas TX