Senior Legal Counsel

Summary

Join the Eclipse Foundation as our Senior Legal Counsel and play a critical role in navigating the complex legal landscape of open source software. You will provide expert guidance on open source software licensing, advise on legal matters related to software development, draft and negotiate contracts, and collaborate with open source communities. This role requires extensive experience with software licensing, strong analytical skills, and fluency in English, with proven proficiency in German and/or Belgian contract law. The position is fully remote, based in Europe, and offers a competitive salary and benefits, a flexible work environment, and opportunities to engage with a global open source community.

Requirements

• Extensive experience with software licensing, including open source licensing models
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to handle complex legal issues independently
• Fluent in English with proven proficiency of working in an English business environment
• Proven proficiency with German and/or Belgian contract law
• Juris Doctor (JD), LLB, LLM or equivalent legal qualification, with admission to practise law in at least one jurisdiction

Responsibilities

• Provide expert guidance on open source software licensing including compliance with popular licenses (e.g., EPL, Apache, MIT)
• Advise on legal matters related to software development, distribution and contribution, ensuring alignment with the foundation’s mission and policies
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts, contributor agreements, and partnership agreements
• Collaborate with open source software communities, ensuring alignment with legal requirements while promoting a positive and inclusive environment
• Navigate legal issues involving US and European law (particularly German and Belgian), including intellectual property, data protection, and corporate governance
• Assist in developing and maintaining internal policies related to legal compliance, risk management, and governance
• Support our policy teams in analysing and complying with draft legislation and regulation
• Manage the foundation’s relationships with various outside counsel to ensure the foundation receives value for investment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with or advising open source software communities
• Familiarity with open source compliance tools and practices
• Public speaking experience both in person and virtual
• Knowledge of both US and European (particularly German and Belgian) law, particularly in intellectual property and technology law
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• A proactive, solution-oriented mindset with a passion for open source principles
• Comfortable working within a goal-oriented, high growth business focused not-for-profit setting
• Existing network from a diverse set of communities and social media platforms including LinkedIn and Facebook

Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits
• A flexible, remote-friendly work environment within a workforce that is entirely distributed
• Opportunities to engage with a vibrant, global community of open source leaders contributors and developers
• Professional growth and learning opportunities in the rapidly evolving field of open source software