Legal & Contract Manager MEA
Harmattan AI · United Arab Emirates
About Us
Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.
Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.
About the Role
We're looking for a commercially minded Legal Counsel to join our legal team in Abu Dhabi. Reporting to the General Counsel, you'll be a hands-on legal business partner to Sales and teams across the company, with a particular focus on Arabic-speaking markets. This is a broad in-house role for a lawyer who enjoys working close to the business and is motivated by Harmattan AI's mission.
Key Responsibilities
Commercial & Procurement
Draft, review and negotiate customer, partnership, supply and procurement agreements, including defence-procurement documentation among others
Support complex negotiations with defence ministries, armed forces, public-sector bodies and industrial partners
Build scalable contracting standards, playbooks and approval processes
Defence, AI & Regulated Technology
Advise on legal and regulatory issues around autonomous and AI-enabled defence systems
Work with the General Counsel on export-control, sanctions and trade-compliance matters
Advise on AI, data, cybersecurity and IP issues as they affect the business
Corporate & Governance
Support entity governance, board documentation and statutory filings across Arabic-speaking markets
Support employment matters alongside the People team and external counsel
Manage disputes and pre-litigation matters with a focus on early risk assessment
Arabic-Speaking Markets
Act as principal legal advisor for expansion across Arabic-speaking markets
Coordinate external local counsel and manage legal spend
Help build the legal processes and templates that let the business scale
Requirements
Qualified attorney or in-house legal counsel with ~5 years' relevant experience across a law firm and in-house/tech or defence environment
Native-level Arabic and fluent professional English;
Strong track record drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts
Solid grounding in contract and corporate law
Genuine interest in defence, dual-use tech, AI or other regulated sectors
Comfortable with senior stakeholders and fast-moving, high-stakes work
Eligible to obtain and maintain any security clearance or authorization required for the role, subject to applicable law.
LL.M. from a US or UK institution, or exposure to defence/public-procurement/export-control matters, is a plus.
We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.