Senior Legal Counsel R&D & Business Contracts

Senior Legal Counsel
R&D & Business Contracts What you will do

• You will be an integral part of imec’s dynamic Legal Office, working in close partnership with our business team. At imec, we collaborate with a diverse array of partners and operate at the forefront of technology across numerous sectors. You will be assigned to one of these sectors, immersing yourself in a cross‑functional business team that drives and lands business and funded opportunities – always ensuring compliance and the protection of imec’s rights and obligations.
• As a Senior Legal Counsel, you will act as the legal lead for a specific sector, and you will guide and support a small team of colleagues dedicated to that area. You will develop an in‑depth understanding of the sector’s business landscape, maintain oversight of its activities, and actively contribute to shaping new business models and strategies for the sector. In addition, you will collaborate with other sector legal leads and the manager of the business legal team to ensure consistency in legal approaches and foster effective knowledge sharing both among legal leads and across the wider business legal team.
• You will draft, review and negotiate a broad variety of R&D & business contracts with partners worldwide. These range from research collaboration agreements, program partnership agreements and license deals to feasibility studies, development and technology transfer agreements, grant and consortium contracts, and more.
• You will provide legal advice throughout the intake, contracting and executing phase of R&D projects.
• You will collaborate closely with imec’s business team, imec’s intellectual property and compliance experts, covering essential areas like privacy, data management, and export control.
• To stay ahead, you will keep up to date on key legal domains: contract law, IP law, competition law, commercial law, and both national and international funding regulations. Your contribution will go further as you help to coordinate, design and update template contracts and standard clauses aligned with new business models, imec’s policies and the latest legal requirements.
• Teamwork is at our core. You will work alongside other legal professionals and actively participate in initiatives designed to maintain a unified, forward‑thinking legal strategy for imec.

As a Senior Legal Counsel at imec, you are challenged with innovative legal questions that demand creative and proactive thinking. You’ll join a rapidly growing team of 16 passionate company lawyers, all dedicated to supporting imec’s global business and corporate structure.

You will mainly work at imec’s premises in Leuven, Belgium (HQ), supporting the imec group worldwide.

The projects and contracts you take up will challenge you to think big and differently. In exchange for your talent, passion and expertise, you will join a multicultural and high‑tech company. Our flexible, progressive and informal working environment offers you a range of possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of an attractive and competitive salary with a package of fringe benefits.

• Holder of a Master’s degree in Law, with at least 10 years’ experience in contract and IP law, preferably shaped within an R&D environment; expertise in regulatory compliance is a strong plus.
• Strong coaching ability in effectively guiding and mentoring colleagues, fostering their professional growth and development. This includes providing constructive feedback, sharing expertise, and supporting team members in overcoming challenges.
• Business‑oriented mindset and strong ability to evaluate legal risks and opportunities within the broader business context, aligning legal advice with imec’s organizational objectives and goals.
• A clear, concise, and focused communicator in English; knowledge of Dutch or the willingness to learn is encouraged.
• Diplomatic, solution‑oriented, and confident in making decisions independently.
• Capable of thriving in a fast‑paced environment; adept at meeting deadlines and managing time efficiently.
• A proactive, constructive team…