Legal Counsel

Meltwater is looking for a commercially minded Legal Counsel to join its APAC legal team. The role sits at the intersection of technology and business, focusing on SaaS contracting, privacy, data protection and a growing suite of media monitoring and digital services. It’s a strong fit for someone who enjoys clear, practical legal guidance that helps move deals forward while protecting the company’s interests. The position is based in Australia, with a remote-first setup and a hybrid schedule that supports collaboration with teams across the region.

The successful candidate will work closely with Sales, Deal Desk, Procurement, Finance, Security, Product, Customer Success and other business teams. They’ll be expected to autonomously manage matters, spot legal and commercial risks early, and provide pragmatic advice aligned with Meltwater’s objectives. Meltwater supports thousands of customers worldwide and analyzes massive data streams daily, and this role helps translate those complexities into actionable guidance for the APAC market.

Day-to-day in the APAC legal team

You’ll draft, review and negotiate a range of commercial contracts, including SaaS agreements, master services agreements, order forms, statements of work, data processing agreements and NDAs, while keeping the business objectives in view. In practice, you’ll guide sales and procurement through contracting, address deviations from standard terms, and propose sensible, risk-aware solutions that still enable momentum. You’ll also advise on privacy, data protection, confidentiality and information security as they relate to customer data and use rights, and you’ll interpret contract terms and resolve day-to-day commercial questions that arise in a fast-moving environment.

Product development, content, intellectual property and AI-related issues will come up from time to time, so you’ll lend your eyes to those areas as relevant. You’ll stay on top of developments in SaaS, media monitoring, content licensing and data licensing, translating new laws and regulatory developments into clear, practical guidance for the business. Collaboration is key here: you’ll work with internal stakeholders to refine templates, playbooks and contract-management practices, and you’ll coordinate with external counsel when specialist input is needed. Above all, you’ll promote a practical, risk-aware approach to legal support that still drives commercial outcomes.

The must-haves to hit the ground running

To be considered, you’ll need a law degree from an accredited school and an active license to practice, along with five or more years of post-qualification legal experience, including in-house exposure in technology, SaaS, media monitoring or related digital services. You should bring excellent negotiation, drafting and communication skills, with a proven track record advising on SaaS contracting issues such as IP, data use, privacy, security, liability, indemnities and termination rights. A familiarity with media monitoring or content licensing and data licensing is highly valued, as are the ability to monitor regulatory developments and translate them into actionable guidance for business teams.

You should be able to work effectively and independently, supporting the sales team and other internal stakeholders while exercising sound judgement that balances business goals with risk. Handling a high volume of matters in a timely and efficient manner is important, as is the knack for explaining complex legal concepts to non-lawyers. A global mindset is useful here, given Meltwater’s cross-border reach, and you’ll need strong organisational skills, high attention to detail and a client-focused approach. Fluency in written and spoken business English is essential, and the role expects regular in-office collaboration, with a Sydney or Melbourne base and hybrid work arrangements that require you to be in the office regularly.

• A Juris Doctor degree (or equivalent) and an active license to practice law
• At least five years of post-qualification legal experience, including in-house work in tech, SaaS, media monitoring or digital services
• Excellent negotiation, drafting and communication skills
• Proven experience advising on SaaS contracts, covering IP, data use, privacy, security, liability, indemnities and termination rights
• Familiarity with media monitoring, content licensing or data licensing issues
• Ability to monitor regulatory developments and convert them into practical guidance
• Independent work style with the capacity to support Sales and other stakeholders, using sound judgement aligned with business goals
• Ability to manage a high volume of matters in a timely manner
• Strong stakeholder management and the ability to explain legal concepts to non-lawyers
• Knowledge of doing business across borders and across organisational boundaries
• High attention to detail and strong organisational skills
• Team player with a focus on client service and professionalism
• Fluency in written and spoken business English and comfort engaging across borders
• Location in Sydney or Melbourne with a hybrid schedule that includes regular in-office work

Nice-to-haves that help you stand out

Beyond the must-haves, these experiences can help you shine in the role. They are not required, but they’ll strengthen your case if you have them.

• Experience supporting enterprise sales or strategic customer negotiations
• Exposure to international contracting and cross-border data protection issues
• Experience in a global or matrixed organisation
• Familiarity with contract lifecycle management systems and legal operations processes
• Experience advising on technology procurement, information security or AI-related matters
• Experience advising on the use of content in dashboards, reports, analytics products or client deliverables, including copyright, media, publishing, IP or digital-content regulation
• Success indicators for this role include providing clear, commercially useful advice, managing contracts efficiently, identifying risks early, building trusted relationships with Sales, Procurement and Product, and contributing to scalable legal processes and templates

What you’ll get in return

The role sits within Meltwater’s APAC legal team, reporting to the Head of Legal for APAC and collaborating with the global legal team. The company emphasises a flexible, hybrid working style, with a Sydney or Melbourne base and an expectation to be in the office regularly to foster collaboration. In addition to a supportive, inclusive culture, Meltwater offers a range of benefits designed to support wellbeing and development, including flexible paid time off, a gym and wellness allowance via ClassPass, and paid Community Outreach Days for volunteering. Employees also gain access to an employee assistance program covering mental health, legal and financial matters, a CalmApp subscription for mental wellness, a car lease option, family leave that grows with tenure, and ongoing professional development opportunities.

The company highlights an energetic, people-centered environment and an emphasis on balance, with a diversity-focused culture and a commitment to equal employment opportunity. Meltwater notes that AI may be used to assist in parts of the hiring process, with humans reviewing outputs and guiding all decisions.

Advice for applicants

Ask yourself how you’ll demonstrate the must-have capabilities in concrete terms. Lead with a strong resume section that foregrounds your law degree, active license and five-plus years of relevant experience, particularly in-house tech or SaaS work and any privacy or data protection focus. If you’ve negotiated complex SaaS deals, prepare a short, client-ready case study that highlights IP, data use, privacy and termination rights, and show how you balanced risk with deal terms.

In interviews, be ready to discuss how you stay on top of regulatory developments and translate them into practical strategies for a global company operating in APAC. Have a ready example of balancing a high volume of matters while maintaining stakeholder relationships and timely delivery, and explain how you contributed to process improvements, templates or playbooks.

For questions to ask, you could inquire about how Meltwater harmonises a practical risk-aware approach with rapid product development, especially around AI and data usage. You might also ask about the contract management tools in use and how the team collaborates with Sales, Product and Security to align on guardrails that protect the business without slowing momentum.