Senior Legal Counsel (Product and Business Development)

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JetBrains is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to join the Product and Business Development legal team in Berlin on a hybrid arrangement. The role is about turning risk into growth by shaping scalable legal frameworks for product innovation, AI initiatives, and strategic partnerships. You will collaborate with Product, Go-to-Market, Business Development, Marketplace and University Relations, own the legal lifecycle of new offerings, and help build templates and self-service tools to reduce review cycles. To apply, emphasize a proven track record drafting and negotiating sophisticated tech and commercial agreements, ability to explain complex concepts to non lawyers, strong ownership, and comfort working in ambiguous, fast moving environments. Highlight multilingual English, law degree, and experience advising multinationals.

You understand that good legal counsel doesn’t just mitigate risk. It also fosters innovation. Comfortable navigating the gray areas of new technology, you enjoy finding pragmatic paths forward and building frameworks that help teams move faster.

About JetBrains

We create intelligent software development tools for developers and teams. More than 15 million users, over 300,000 companies, and 88 of the Fortune Global Top 100 rely on our products to solve real, complex problems. Our mission is simple: make development teams more productive and AI adoptable at scale.

What you’ll do

As we expand our AI initiatives and explore new commercial models, the legal landscape in which we operate is becoming more complex. We are looking for a Senior Legal Counsel to join the Product and Business Development legal team. This role isn't about saying "no"; it's about figuring out "how." You’ll shape scalable legal frameworks that support product innovation, strategic partnerships, and sustainable growth.

You’ll work closely with the Product, Go-to-Market, Business Development, Marketplace, and University Relations teams, helping them understand and navigate regulatory realities while keeping the focus on user value. You’ll own the legal life cycle of new offerings and partnerships, collaborating with a team of experienced lawyers to solve problems no one has solved before.

Day to day, you will:

• Advise on the entire life cycle of software products, services, plugins, and AI features - from refining early concepts to retiring older features.
• Implement legal and regulatory requirements, including AI regulation and consumer protection.
• Draft, negotiate, and advise on strategic tech, AI partnership, and collaboration agreements.
• Support JetBrains Marketplace initiatives and relationships with third-party platforms.
• Guide the legal aspects of our educational, academic, and research initiatives.
• Improve legal operations by designing templates, playbooks, and self-service resources that reduce the need for manual legal review.
• Equip the sales and procurement legal teams with product expertise to help them negotiate customer and vendor agreements.
• Share knowledge and insights across the legal team and broader business to build awareness around best practices.

What you’ll bring

• A pragmatic approach to problem-solving, balancing legal risk with business realities.
• The ability to explain complex legal concepts clearly and simply to non-lawyers.
• A strong ownership mentality, seeing matters through from start to finish.
• Comfort making decisions in ambiguous environments, especially regarding novel technologies like AI.
• A collaborative mindset, working well with stakeholders across different teams and disciplines.
• A continuous drive to improve workflows, automating or standardizing routine tasks where possible.
• Transparency, integrity, and the willingness to speak up when something doesn’t make sense.

What you’ll need

• A formal degree in law (LLB, LLM, Mgr, or equivalent).
• An extensive background advising multinational corporations on technology and commercial law.
• A proven track record of successfully drafting and negotiating sophisticated commercial and technology agreements.
• A deep understanding of software products, digital services, and technology business models.
• Fluency in English and the ability to negotiate and draft complex legal documents clearly and effectively.
• The demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex tasks and stakeholder relationships simultaneously.

What success looks like

Success means you’ll have become a trusted advisor to our product and business teams. You don’t just review contracts. You are actively involved in the strategy, ensuring legal frameworks are an enabler of growth rather than a bottleneck. Over time, you will have established clear, scalable self-service resources that allow teams to handle routine legal questions independently, freeing you up to focus on high-impact, complex challenges. You’ll leave things cleaner and more efficient than you found them.

Why join JetBrains? 

• Strong base salary. We offer competitive pay that reflects your skills and experience.
• Flexible work location. Enjoy the freedom to work from home or from the office.
• Remote work. Spend up to 30 days per year working remotely from abroad.
• Extra time off. More days to relax, recharge, and do the things you love.
• Medical insurance allowance. Enjoy peace of mind for you and your family
• Learning and development opportunities. Access to conferences, courses, and language classes.
• Language classes. Pick up the local language or sharpen your English skills.
• Fuel your day. Enjoy a hot meal or receive a lunch allowance on workdays.
• Mental health support. To help you feel your best, we provide easy access to professional mental health services.
• Sports benefit. Enjoy an on-site gym or sports club stipend.
• Internal events. Join company-wide celebrations and team gatherings.

*Some benefits may vary depending on location.
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