Lead Employment Counsel

Camunda, a leader in agentic orchestration and business process automation, is seeking a Lead Employment Counsel to join their global, remote-first team. This role is designed for an experienced legal professional who prefers being an integrated business partner rather than a traditional legal gatekeeper. By serving as the primary point of contact for the People team, you will help shape internal culture, ensure global compliance, and streamline the organisation’s legal operations.

About the role

As the Lead Employment Counsel, you will be the bridge between Camunda’s legal function and the People team. The company is looking for someone comfortable in a fast-paced environment where the focus is on enabling business goals while mitigating risk. You will be expected to handle the majority of employment-related queries in-house, effectively reducing the organisation's dependency on external law firms.

This is a high-autonomy position. You will not just be interpreting labour law; you will be helping the People team navigate the complexities of international workforce management. Because Camunda operates globally, including in the DACH region, your ability to maintain compliance across multiple jurisdictions will be critical. Furthermore, you will be tasked with modernising the legal department by identifying and integrating AI-driven tools to enhance efficiency and response times.

Your daily routine will involve direct collaboration with People Business Partners to navigate the full lifecycle of the employment relationship. Your key responsibilities include:

• Providing front-line legal support on sensitive matters such as performance management, terminations, leaves of absence, and reasonable accommodations.
• Directly managing complex employee relations cases that require high-level legal oversight.
• Taking ownership of vendor management, specifically overseeing the relationship with platforms like Remote.com to ensure service levels meet internal requirements.
• Managing the budget for external legal counsel, with a mandate to track and reduce spend against established baselines.
• Ensuring the company remains compliant with employment legislation in every region where they operate.
• Implementing and leveraging new technologies, including AI tools, to accelerate internal workflows and legal documentation processes.

What they're looking for

To succeed in this role, you need a blend of deep legal expertise and a genuine interest in Human Resources operations. You must be an attorney with a J.D. or an equivalent law degree and active bar admission.

• A minimum of 8 years of experience specialising in employment law.
• Demonstrable experience working in-house at a global organisation with a multi-jurisdictional footprint.
• Proven success in managing third-party relationships, including external legal counsel and HR technology vendors.
• A "trusted advisor" mindset with the ability to provide clear, actionable guidance to non-legal stakeholders.
• Technical proficiency, specifically an interest or experience in utilising AI tools to improve legal operations.
• Exceptional communication skills, allowing you to explain complex legal risks in simple, business-friendly terms.

For South African legal professionals, this role represents an attractive transition into the global remote-work market. In the local context, in-house legal counsel roles within the tech and SaaS sectors are becoming increasingly lucrative, often paying well above the average for traditional law firm associates, especially when pegged to international salaries. Professionals moving into these roles typically see a career trajectory leading toward Head of Legal or Chief of Staff functions, as the proximity to the People team provides deep visibility into the strategic operations of the business. As this is a fully remote position, candidates should be prepared to work across different time zones, requiring strong self-management and excellent documentation skills.

• J.D. or equivalent law degree, with active bar admission in at least one jurisdiction.
• 8+ years of employment law experience, including significant in-house experience at a global, multi-jurisdiction company.
• Experience managing outside counsel and HR vendor relationships.
• A track record of advising HR and People teams directly.
• Strong judgment and comfort making autonomous calls.
• Experience using AI tools to improve legal workflows.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Interest in growing your career within HR/People.