Senior Legal Counsel – Commercial

About the role

Kela is a fast‑growing defense technology startup seeking a hands‑on Senior Legal Counsel to act as a business enabler. Reporting to the Head of Legal, you will own end‑to‑end legal workstreams, advise senior stakeholders and build the agreements and processes that support rapid growth while protecting critical technology.

Key responsibilities

• Serve as trusted legal advisor to business, procurement, operations and R&D teams.
• Lead drafting and negotiation of commercial agreements with vendors, suppliers and strategic partners.
• Prepare groundwork for international transactions, including end‑user certificates, licensing approvals and export‑control compliance (ITAR, EAR, Israeli MOD).
• Proactively support various compliance matters across the organization.
• Maintain and optimise contract templates and playbooks as the company scales.

Required profile

• LL.B. from a leading academic institution and licensed to practice law in Israel.
• 7+ years of experience in commercial or corporate law, either at a top law firm or as in‑house counsel in a global technology company.
• Excellent English drafting and communication skills.
• Strong commercial judgment with the ability to balance legal risk and business needs.
• Proactive, detail‑oriented and able to manage multiple tasks under pressure.
• Builder’s mentality – comfortable with ambiguity and eager to learn at the intersection of national security and technology.

Required skills

• Export‑control regulations knowledge (ITAR, EAR, Israeli MOD).
• AI governance and practical application of AI tools.
• English legal drafting.