Legal & Contract Manager – Middle East & Africa

About the role

We are seeking a commercially‑minded Legal Counsel to join Harmattan AI’s legal team in Abu Dhabi. Reporting to the General Counsel, you will act as an in‑house business partner for sales and other functions, focusing on Arabic‑speaking markets.

Key responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate customer, partnership, supply and procurement agreements, including defence‑procurement documentation.
• Support complex negotiations with defence ministries, armed forces, public‑sector bodies and industrial partners.
• Build scalable contracting standards, playbooks and approval processes.
• Advise on legal and regulatory issues around autonomous and AI‑enabled defence systems, export‑control, sanctions and trade‑compliance.
• Provide guidance on AI, data, cybersecurity and intellectual‑property matters.
• Support entity governance, board documentation and statutory filings across Arabic‑speaking markets.
• Manage employment matters together with the People team and external counsel.
• Coordinate external local counsel, manage legal spend and act as principal advisor for expansion in Arabic‑speaking markets.

Required profile

• Qualified attorney or in‑house counsel with roughly five years of experience in a law firm and in‑house/tech or defence environment.
• Native‑level Arabic and fluent professional English.
• Proven track record drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts.
• Solid grounding in contract and corporate law.
• Genuine interest in defence, dual‑use technology, AI or other regulated sectors.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain any required security clearance.
• LL.M. from a US or UK institution or exposure to defence/public‑procurement/export‑control matters (a plus).