Legal Counsel in London

Helsing is a defence AI company. Our mission is to protect our democracies. We aim to achieve technological leadership, so that open societies can continue to make sovereign decisions and control their ethical standards. As democracies, we believe we have a special responsibility to be thoughtful about the development and deployment of powerful technologies like AI. We take this responsibility seriously.

We are an ambitious and committed team of engineers, AI specialists and customer‑facing programme managers. We are looking for mission‑driven people to join our European teams – and apply their skills to solve the most complex and impactful problems. We embrace an open and transparent culture that welcomes healthy debates on the use of technology in defence, its benefits, and its ethical implications.

The role of Legal Counsel based in London involves being a legal adviser to Helsing's UK and European teams, reporting to the UK lead counsel and Group General Counsel. You will operate at the intersection of defence procurement, AI regulation, export controls and commercial contracting — providing counsel that directly enables Helsing to secure and deliver on some of the most consequential technology programmes in European defence. This is a role for someone who combines sharp legal judgement with commercial pragmatism, who can work at fast pace and who wants their work to have a tangible effect on the protection of democratic societies.

The day‑to‑day responsibilities include:

• Advise Helsing's UK and European teams on strategic and tactical legal matters across the artificial intelligence and defence domains, ensuring legal insight is integrated into business decisions from the outset.
• Structure, draft, negotiate and close contractual agreements and software licensing arrangements with UK and European government customers and defence industry partners.
• Provide specialist guidance on UK/EU defence procurement regulations, including single source contract regulations, shaping Helsing's approach to public‑sector contracting.
• Advise on export control compliance, intellectual property rights, data privacy and conflicts of interest under UK law, building scalable processes as the business grows.
• Support product development teams with legal analysis on emerging regulatory requirements, helping Helsing bring AI capabilities to market responsibly and at pace.
• Deliver corporate and regulatory support to Helsing's entities, including governance, filings and compliance obligations.
• Collaborate with legal colleagues across Helsing's European offices to ensure consistency and share best practice on cross‑jurisdictional matters.

You should apply if you:

• Are qualified to practise law in England and Wales, with meaningful post‑qualification experience gained in private practice, in‑house or government legal roles.
• Have demonstrated expertise in UK public procurement law, ideally including single source contract regulations and defence‑sector contracting.
• Have drafted, negotiated and closed complex commercial agreements — particularly technology licensing or software contracts — with government or regulated‑sector counterparties.
• Can translate legal complexity into clear, actionable advice for senior stakeholders and cross‑functional teams.
• Bring a working knowledge of export controls, IP and data privacy as they apply to technology companies operating in the defence sector.
• Share Helsing's conviction that democratic values are worth protecting and want your legal career to contribute to that mission.

Nice to Have:

• Experience advising on AI regulation, responsible AI frameworks or dual‑use technology governance.
• Familiarity with security clearance processes and working within classified environments.
• Exposure to cross‑border defence collaboration or multinational programme structures.
• Experience operating within a high‑growth technology company or start‑up environment.
• Languages: French, Spanish or German.

Join Helsing and work with world‑leading experts in their fields. Helsing’s work is important. You’ll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns. The work is unique. We operate in a domain that has highly unusual technical requirements and constraints, and where robustness, safety, and ethical considerations are vital. You will face unique Engineering and AI challenges that make a meaningful impact in the world.

What we offer:

• Competitive salary and stock options (ESOP).
• Relocation support: up to €2,500 and 4 weeks temporary accommodation.
• Learning: €500/£450 yearly allowance.
• Health & wellness: gym membership and mental health support (Nilo.health).
• Social: regularly company events and monthly social allowances.
• Enhanced parental leave: 22 weeks fully paid for primary caregivers & 6 weeks for secondary caregivers.
• Family support: 5 days of paid family emergency leave, 100% remote work option during pregnancy and phased return to work.

Helsing is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or gender identity.