The Corporate Counsel Legal Affairs role at Microsoft is a role responsible for contributing to and executing Microsoft’s legal strategy in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This person will serve as a strategic and legal advisor to various customer segments in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, working together with the business on achieving success and accelerating AI transformation at scale.

The role requires a legal professional with experience in technology, corporate, commercial and public sector legal matters, including public procurement law, as well as fluency in European regulatory contexts. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate leadership capabilities.

This role is located in Munich and part of a Legal Affairs team who is responsible for supporting legal and regulatory matters, reviewing new business models, removing legal blockers and supporting the business in accelerating consumption of Microsoft services, AI in particular, evangelizing the use of AI in the transformation of the legal profession, and for supporting transactions with public sector customers.

Central to the role will be deep partnerships with internal Microsoft teams and with our customers and partners in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in order to inform and ground the work of our Microsoft Corporate External and Legal Affairs team (CELA) more broadly. Proactive engagements with customers will be required. They will collaborate closely with the team that supports our government and policy external relations. They will also partner closely with the Regional Deal Team to ensure clear allocation and consistent execution of roles and responsibilities necessary to support the business. This leader will also partner, as needed, with multiple subject matter expert teams throughout the CELA department.

• Provide strategic legal counsel to senior sales leadership and business units on a wide range of legal and regulatory issues. Help in-country teams shape strategy and execution of strategic sales priorities.
• Ensure compliance with local laws and regulations, and proactively manage legal risks.
• Oversee litigation and disputes matters (excluding HR and consumer disputes), proactive and reactive regulatory engagements, and Public Sector contract negotiations.
• Work with the Regional Deal Team when needed to support regulatory elements of Enterprise Commercial customer contract negotiations. Work with the Regional Small Medium Enterprise & Corporate CELA lead when needed to support regulatory scaled resources such as self-help materials for the SME&C sales motion.
• Responsibly leverage outside counsel resources to drive budget efficiencies.
• Act as a legal counterpart to local and regional compliance functions (e.g. Enterprise Compliance, Risk Management, Investigations), ensuring close alignment between legal advice, compliance controls, and business execution.
• Collaborate with regional and global legal teams to land Microsoft’s global objectives in market, and to participate in cross-border projects including CELA Customer and Partner Solutions strategic priorities.
• Represent Microsoft in interactions with external stakeholders, including regulators, senior legal officers for private and public sector customers, industry bodies, and legal industry leaders.
• Leverage AI to drive innovation within the CELA team in EMEA.

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from Germany, Austria or Switzerland equivalent legal degree with admission to practice law in the relevant jurisdiction and demonstrable work experience.
  • Or equivalent experience
• Demonstrable experience in technology, corporate and commercial law & regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrable experience in the intersection of Public Sector within Technology.
• This role requires proficiency in written, reading, and conversational English & German as most business operations as well as customer communications are conducted in English or German.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience with advising senior business stakeholders
• Proficiency in French language
• Relevant business acumen and ability to provide pragmatic legal advice.
• Proficient communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrable experience working in a multinational corporation and/or technology sector is preferred.

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.