Lead Counsel
Legal
Munich, Germany
Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability
At Hypersonica, we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast.
By joining Hypersonica, you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously.
We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence.
What you’ll do
- Own and support the drafting, review and negotiation of a broad range of commercial agreements, including supplier agreements, development agreements, NDAs, MoUs, etc.
- Act as a pragmatic legal partner to engineering, commercial, and supply chain teams, helping them move fast while managing legal and regulatory risk appropriately.
- Support the development and implementation of Hypersonica’s contracting standards, playbooks, templates and approval processes.
- Advise on IP matters, including ownership of foreground/background IP, licensing, invention processes, etc.
- Support compliance and regulatory workstreams relevant to a defence technology company, including export control, sanctions, end-use restrictions, security requirements, public-sector contracting requirements and customer-specific compliance obligations.
- Help build scalable internal compliance processes, policies and controls.
- Support legal aspects of strategic projects, including international expansion and government-facing initiatives.
- Coordinate external counsel where required, ensuring advice is practical, focused and aligned with the company’s priorities.
- Help create a legal function that is fast, clear, commercially minded and deeply embedded in the business.
Who you are
- A qualified lawyer, ideally including 3+ years of experience from a leading international or national law firm and a strong foundation in commercial contracts, IP, technology, regulatory or compliance matters.
- Comfortable working on technically complex matters and able to engage credibly with engineers, commercial teams and senior leadership.
- Interested in, or ideally already experienced with, compliance and regulatory topics such as export control, sanctions, end-use restrictions, public procurement, security requirements or defence contracting.
- Highly organized, precise and reliable, but pragmatic enough to distinguish between material legal risks and theoretical edge cases.
- Able to operate autonomously in a fast-moving environment where processes are being built while the company scales.
- Clear in communication, strong in judgement and comfortable giving practical recommendations.
- Motivated by building legal infrastructure that enables speed, trust and responsible execution.
- Fluent in English. German law qualification or German language skills are a strong plus, but not necessarily a requirement depending on experience.
Security and Eligibility Requirement
Due to the nature of Hypersonica’s work in defence technology, candidates may be required to undergo background checks, security screening or security clearance processes. The role may also require handling sensitive information subject to export control, sanctions, end-use and national security restrictions.
What we offer
- A mission driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe’s most consequential defence challenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security.
- Daily collaboration with top experts across engineering, operations, and defence, with real opportunity to learn from the best, contribute, and grow.
- High ownership and autonomy; no time tracking, no micromanagement, just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes.
- A fast paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly, and feedback from test and flight drives real decisions.
- A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly.
- Competitive compensation and real share options aligned to responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.
At Hypersonica, every hire raises the bar. We are deliberately small, intensely capable, and deeply mission-driven. If this role feels like a strong fit, or if you believe you bring something exceptional that goes beyond the description, we encourage you to apply.
Hypersonica is an equal-opportunity employer and assesses candidates solely on merit, capability, and potential.
You can apply directly to this role or reach out to Nathan Sweeney, Head of Talent. We review every application and aim to respond to all candidates within two weeks, whether the answer is yes or no.
