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Rolls-Royce

Designs, manufactures, and services propulsion systems

Senior Legal Counsel - Marine and Land Defence

Legal Counsel & Legal SupportConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeFriedrichshafen, GermanyNo salary listedIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

  • Completed legal studies with two examinations, or a comparable qualification with expertise in business law.
  • At least ten years of professional experience in a law firm and/or industrial company, including experience in defense or regulated project and systems business.
  • Sound knowledge of international contract law.
  • Experience leading projects; certification is beneficial, while proven implementation experience is decisive.
  • Willingness to undergo a security screening under the German Security Screening Act (SÜG).
  • Business-minded approach and ability to explain legal complexity in an audience-appropriate way.
  • Fluent English negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

  • Manage contract risk in international defense, project, and systems business, including prime, subcontractor, and consortium structures; government-to-government arrangements; escalation processes; and bid/no-bid and deal-review committees.
  • Advise management and specialist departments as an embedded business partner, considering business models, margins, risk capacity, and approval and end-use requirements in the defense industry.
  • Develop and maintain risk standards, playbooks, and contract templates for marine and land defense business as part of Legal Operations.
  • Provide legal support for collaborations, teaming and consortium agreements, offset and compensation obligations, strategic projects, and mergers and acquisitions in the defense sector.
  • Negotiate and review complex international supply, development, and framework agreements, including ship and marine propulsion and propulsion for land and tracked vehicles, applying German and Anglo-American contractual approaches and addressing Foreign Military Sales and Direct Commercial Sales.
  • Work closely with export control on foreign trade and weapons control law, the EU Dual-Use Regulation, and U.S. ITAR/EAR regimes; develop licensing strategies, maintain end-use documentation, and classify goods.
  • Collaborate on classified-information security and security screenings, and on defense and security procurement law; advise domestic and foreign subsidiaries while observing national arms-export regimes.
  • Account for product-safety and technical-regulatory requirements specific to military goods, including defense-purpose exemptions.
  • Independently lead defense-related legal projects, such as contract lifecycle management implementation, policy rollouts, and process harmonization.
  • Coordinate interdisciplinary international project teams across legal, export control, sales, and program management, as well as external law firms.

Desired Qualifications

  • Knowledge of foreign trade and export control law, defense and security procurement law, weapons control law, and classified-information security.
  • Project-management certification.
  • Additional foreign languages, particularly French.

About the Company

Rolls-Royce

Designs, manufactures, and services propulsion systems

Rolls-Royce Holdings plc designs, manufactures, and services complex power and propulsion systems for aerospace, marine, and industrial markets. Its offerings include aircraft engines, marine propulsion systems, and industrial gas turbines, paired with long-term maintenance, repair, and overhaul services under service agreements. The way its products work is by delivering integrated power and propulsion through high-performance engines and turbines, supported by ongoing maintenance to ensure reliability and efficiency. The company differentiates itself through deep engineering expertise across defense and civil sectors, an emphasis on integrated power systems, and a strong focus on long-term service contracts that provide recurring revenue and sustained performance. Its goal is to reduce environmental impact and improve operational efficiency for customers by advancing technology through research and development and delivering reliable, efficient power solutions.

Company size
10,001+
Company stage
IPO
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Founded
1904

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