Drafting, marking up, negotiating and advising on a broad spectrum of commercial agreements involving our customers, suppliers and strategic partners;
Supporting and executing legal team strategy initiatives to streamline global operations;
Reviewing software packages for license compliance before release, ensuring our processes remain robust and aligned with industry standards;
Translating complex engineering requirements into precise legal terms and, conversely, explain how legal concepts (like copyleft or derivative works) impact specific coding and product decisions;
Monitoring the legal and regulatory landscape of open source software, including emerging cybersecurity requirements, and proactively defining SUSE’s approach and policies to open source license compliance;
Advising on SUSE’s strategic positioning within the open source community, including supporting SUSE’s thought leadership and activism on licensing issues in the open source community;
Developing and delivering training to the business and supporting functions covering matters such as contract processes, the meaning of various contractual provisions, negotiation skills, open source compliance and group policies.

A qualified lawyer with around 1-5 years' post-qualification experience.
German qualification is preferred, but other jurisdictions will be considered.
In-house experience is a plus but not essential.
Fluent in both German and English.
Familiarity with commercial contracts and/or IP licenses.
Familiarity with open source licensing is desirable, including how different licence types affect product strategy and risk.
A desire to learn about the software supply chain and cybersecurity regulations.
Excellent drafting, research, and negotiation skills, with solid IP and commercial contracting knowledge.
Strong collaboration skills and a good sense of humour
we value team players who can work across departments and jurisdictions.
A business-focused mindset with the ability to explain complex legal and technical matters in clear, accessible language.

We empower you to be bold, driving your career to create the future you want.
We celebrate and reward your achievements.
SUSE is a dynamic environment that is evolving rapidly, thus requiring agility, strong entrepreneurship and an open mind.
This is a compelling opportunity for the right person to join us as we continue to scale and prosper.
We give you the freedom to be yourself.
You will work in a global community of unique individuals – like you – with different backgrounds, talents, skills and perspectives.
A truly open community where everyone is welcome, has a voice and is encouraged to reach their full potential regardless of age, gender, race, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or any other characteristics.

Commercial & IP Legal Counsel

Key skills