Senior Legał Counsel

About the role

Reporting directly to the COO, the ideal candidate will have a unique blend of experience in top-tier law firms and the agility to operate effectively within the dynamic, fast-paced startup environment. You will be responsible for navigating complex legal landscapes across fundraising rounds, building strategic partnerships, and safeguarding the company’s innovative IP. 

As a strategic advisor to our executive team, you will be directly involved in shaping the future of a company that is tackling one of the world’s most urgent environmental challenges. This is an opportunity to work with passionate experts across engineering, R&D, and commercial teams, driving innovation at the forefront of cleantech.

What you'll be doing

Fundraising & Deal Structuring:

• Lead deal structuring and negotiations: Collaborate with internal stakeholders and investors to structure deals for fundraising activities, ensuring that legal agreements are sound, commercially beneficial, and aligned with the company's growth objectives.
• Capital raising and investor relations: Oversee the legal aspects of capital raising activities. This includes drafting and reviewing term sheets, investment agreements, and ensuring compliance with regulations.
• Due diligence: Conduct and manage due diligence processes during fundraising and partnership negotiations, ensuring that all legal aspects are addressed thoroughly and efficiently.
• Equity and convertible instruments: Provide expert guidance on structuring equity and debt instruments (e.g., convertible notes, SAFEs - Simple Agreements for Future Equity), ensuring terms are favourable for the company while remaining attractive to investors.
  

Commercial Contracts & Partnerships

•  Structure and negotiate complex commercial deals: Support the development and negotiation of commercial agreements with partners, suppliers, and customers, ensuring that deal structures are aligned with long-term business goals and risk mitigation strategies.
• End-to-end contract management: Oversee the entire lifecycle of contracts, from drafting and negotiation to execution and enforcement, ensuring that critical milestones, obligations, and financial terms are clearly understood and managed.
• Strategic partnership agreements: Lead the legal structuring of strategic partnerships with identified global institutions to help Mission Zero expand its market reach and influence.

 Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy & Management

• Develop and implement IP strategy: You’ll be responsible for structuring licensing agreements that allow the commercialisation of IP while maintaining the company’s rights and protections.
• International IP portfolio: Develop strategies for international patent filings and ensure IP protection in key global markets, partnering with external counsel as needed to secure and defend our portfolio.
  

 Governance, Legal & Regulatory Compliance:

• Corporate governance: Advise the Leadership Team on governance structures that align with the company’s growth plans, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements while optimising the company’s legal framework for future expansion.
• Ensure compliance with laws and regulations: Stay up-to-date with legal developments in cleantech, environmental regulations, and corporate governance to ensure Mission Zero is always compliant with relevant national and international laws.
• Regulatory filings: Structure legal processes and systems to ensure timely and accurate filings related to IP, fundraising, and corporate compliance across jurisdictions.
  

 Risk Mitigation  & Strategic Support:

• Risk identification and management: Analyse potential legal risks in key business decisions, particularly in deal structuring and contract negotiation, and advise the executive team on how to mitigate these risks proactively.
• Strategic legal advisor: Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO, CFO, and leadership team on legal matters, providing input on key business decisions, particularly in structuring deals that will drive company growth and market expansion.
• Cross-functional partnerships: Collaborate with engineering, commercial, and product teams to ensure that legal considerations are fully integrated into the company's broader operational strategy.
• External counsel management: Manage relationships with external law firms for specialised legal work, ensuring alignment with company goals and efficient use of resources.
  

What you'll need to be successful in this role

•  Extensive Legal Expertise: You’ll need at least 7+ years of legal experience, preferably in both top-tier law firms and in-house roles, with a strong track record of supporting fast-growing companies. Expertise in corporate and commercial law is essential.
• Fundraising and Deal Structuring Experience: Proven ability to handle complex capital raising efforts, including structuring equity, debt instruments, and convertible notes, as well as navigating the due diligence process.
• Commercial and Contract Management Skills: Experience managing end-to-end contract negotiations, from drafting to execution, across commercial and strategic partnerships, ideally within the clean tech or innovation-driven sectors.
• Intellectual Property Strategy: A good understanding of IP management, particularly in high-tech or innovation-heavy industries, including developing patent strategies and securing international IP protection.
• Regulatory and Compliance Knowledge: You should be highly familiar with relevant environmental regulations, corporate governance, and compliance requirements across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring MZT’s operations remain compliant as we scale.
• Adaptability and Agility: The ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment with changing priorities, combined with the foresight to anticipate business needs and proactively provide legal solutions.
• Effective Communication and Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage with stakeholders at all levels, including executives, engineering teams, and external partners, while delivering complex legal advice in a clear and actionable manner.
• Problem-Solving and Strategic Thinking: A proactive, problem-solving mindset, able to work independently while anticipating risks and addressing potential legal issues in innovative ways.

Ideally you'll also have

• Experience in a Startup Environment: Familiarity with the unique challenges and opportunities in fast-paced work environments.
• International Experience: Experience managing cross-border legal matters, including international fundraising, partnerships, and IP portfolio management.
• Leadership in a Dynamic Environment: The ability to provide legal leadership and guidance in a fast-evolving company, helping shape the legal framework to support the company’s rapid growth and ambitious goals.
• IP & Patent Protection: Working with R&D teams to identify and protect key innovations through patents, trademarks, and trade secrets

What we can offer you

• 30 days of Annual Leave
• 3 months Paternity/Maternity Leave
• £500 annual Learning & Development Grant
• Unlimited mental health support
• Employee Share Options Scheme
• Christmas holidays office closure
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employer-matched contributions to global re-wilding programme
• Opportunities to directly impact where our company is headed
• A high-growth, high-trust environment that encourages bold creativity

At Mission Zero, we value diversity of cultural backgrounds, experience, and perspectives, and leverage these qualities to create exceptional outcomes. We are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, sex, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, age, disability, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related condition, or any other basis as protected by applicable law. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation.

Our Hiring Process

Kindly allow us up to 2 weeks to review your application. Providing both of our schedules align, the total hiring process should take 4-6 weeks total to wrap up.

• Application review
• Intro Call (45 Mins)
• Getting to know you - (Partner Assessment)
• Interview and Exercise