Legal Counsel

Who we are 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 Helsing's legal function is not a back-office service desk — it is a strategic partner to the business, embedded in the decisions that shape how we grow, compete and deliver for our government customers. As Legal Counsel based in London, you will be 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 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 Note: We operate in an industry where women, as well as other minority groups, are systematically under-represented. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarised in a few bullet points. Nice to Have Exper