Senior Legal Counsel

At Poka, we're transforming how frontline teams operate, learn, and solve problems.

Our connected worker platform is purpose-built for manufacturing, empowering frontline workers to share knowledge, collaborate in real-time, and drive continuous improvement. Think of it as the missing digital link, bringing the human interface into the stack of the Smart Factory, generating the right data and insights that drive entirely new scales of process improvements.

We're proud to support global leaders like Nestlé, Bosch, Mars, and Danone in their digital transformation journeys and as part of the IFS family, our reach and impact continue to grow globally.

Poka is seeking a German-speaking Senior Legal Counsel who will play a key role in negotiating and managing commercial contracts for our SaaS platform with customers and partners.

Do you have 4 to 7 years of experience in contract negotiation and internal legal risk management, ideally in a B2B/SaaS environment within a private practice or technology company? Are you well versed in German employment law and eager to take an active role in supporting the launch and day-to-day legal needs of a German legal entity? If so, Poka wants to meet you.

As Senior Legal Counsel, you will report to Poka's General Counsel and work closely with the Sales, Customer Success, Information Security, Finance, and Revenue Operations teams across North America and Europe, providing practical legal support to enable the execution of strategic commercial agreements and the expansion of Poka's presence in Europe.

What you'll be responsible for:

• Negotiating, reviewing, and drafting Poka's commercial agreements with customers, including Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Order Forms (OFs), Statements of Work (SOWs), Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Data Processing Agreements (DPAs), and security agreements.
• Assessing legal, contractual, and commercial risks associated with customer requests and proposing mitigation strategies aligned with the company's commercial priorities.
• Advising internal teams on contractual matters, including liability, indemnification, intellectual property, data protection, information security, and regulatory compliance.
• Ensuring alignment of contracts with Poka's internal policies and applicable legal requirements, with a particular focus on German and EU employment and workforce laws, including GDPR, the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act, and other relevant data protection and compliance frameworks.
• Collaborating with Sales and Customer Success teams to accelerate negotiation cycles, unblock transactions, and enable rapid contract execution.
• Managing and maintaining contract templates, negotiation playbooks, and internal legal processes to ensure efficiency and consistency.
• Defining and enforcing Poka's acceptable risk positions, escalating non-standard requests as needed.
• Training commercial teams on contractual fundamentals and Poka's standard positions.
• Supporting, as needed, matters related to the protection of intellectual property and trade secrets.

What you bring to the table:

• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) or another relevant degree (J.D.) with active bar membership in good standing.
• 4 to 7 years of experience in commercial law, contract negotiation, or a related legal role.
• Hands-on experience negotiating B2B contracts, ideally on the vendor side in a SaaS context.
• Professional proficiency in both English and German, spoken and written.
• Strong understanding of IT contracts and intellectual property law.
• Knowledge of German and EU privacy and data protection laws and regulations, including GDPR, sector-specific regulatory requirements, artificial intelligence regulation including the EU AI Act, etc.
• Experience with data residency requirements and related contractual restrictions.

What will differentiate you:

• You have experience supporting the establishment and operation of a German legal entity.
• You are able to manage multiple matters simultaneously in a fast-paced, results-driven environment.
• You demonstrate excellent legal judgment and a pragmatic, solution-oriented approach.
• You show strong rigor, attention to detail, and prioritization skills.
• You are able to work effectively with sales teams and negotiate with the legal teams of large enterprises.
• You have a CIPP Certification.

What we offer:

• Dynamic and collaborative work environment.
• Generous vacation policy upon arrival.
• Remote work policy.
• A truly flexible schedule that allows you to adapt your work hours.
• Benefits Plan offered from day one.
• MacBook Pro and €500 allowance for your home office.
• Generous referral bonus.
• The tools, support, and opportunities you need to keep learning and progressing in your career.

Want to learn more about our culture? Click HERE.

Please note: An understanding of English is essential at Poka, as it is the language used during company-wide meetings and many internal communications, ensuring effective collaboration and decision-making. In addition, as Poka operates in an international environment, English is the primary language for communicating with our clients and partners, enabling us to better serve them and represent Poka in a professional manner.