Legal Counsel

Join Wayve, a pioneering company in the field of embodied AI technology. As a Legal Counsel (Commercial) based in London, you will play a crucial role in supporting a wide range of commercial matters as the company expands globally. You will work closely with various teams, including commercial, procurement, engineering, product, privacy, and fleet operations. Your responsibilities will include drafting and negotiating commercial agreements, advising on intellectual property and data usage, and supporting strategic initiatives and international expansion. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with strong foundational commercial skills and a passion for technology and innovation.

• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a broad range of commercial agreements, including supplier, software/SaaS, services, and bespoke agreements.
• Advising on intellectual property, AI and data usage, and other general commercial matters, particularly at the intersection of law and AI.
• Supporting strategic initiatives, international expansion, and new product deployments from a commercial legal perspective.

• This role is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-moving, technology-driven environments and enjoys working at the intersection of law, AI, product innovation, and operational scale
• While experience in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or AI would be valuable, it is not essential
• We are more interested in candidates with strong foundational commercial skills, sound judgement, and a proven ability to navigate complex legal landscapes in a fast-moving environment
• We are looking for a proactive, commercially minded self-starter who is comfortable operating independently on a variety of day-to-day commercial legal matters
• We are looking for someone who can clearly and confidently explain legal and commercial risks, exercise sound judgement in assessing those risks, and work collaboratively with stakeholders to find practical solutions
• Experience supporting strategic commercial transactions and working closely with business stakeholders in fast-moving, technology-driven environments
• Trained at a leading law firm with 2 to 4 years of relevant post-qualification experience (although we are open to candidates with more or less experience)
• Experience partnering cross-functionally with business stakeholders and an ability to communicate effectively with both legal and non-legal experts
• Strong commercial judgement and an ability to assess legal risk in the context of broader business objectives, providing practical, solutions-oriented advice that enables the business to achieve its goals while appropriately managing risk
• Strong experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements, including procurement, supply chain, technology, and vendor contracts
• Ability to work autonomously on day-to-day matters, take initiative, exercise sound judgement on when to escalate, and operate effectively in a fast-paced and evolving environment
• Enthusiasm for getting stuck into a broad range of legal matters, including areas outside your existing experience, and comfort working through novel legal and commercial questions where there may be limited precedent or established market practice
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to distil complex legal issues and clearly explain legal and commercial risk to non-legal stakeholders
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously and switch effectively between competing priorities
• Qualified solicitor in England and Wales
• Experience advising on employment-related matters affecting a global workforce, or a willingness to develop experience in this area, including navigating a fast-paced employment environment
• Comfortable negotiating directly with commercial counterparties and able to communicate legal positions clearly and pragmatically
• We understand that everyone has a unique set of skills and experiences and that not everyone will meet all of the requirements listed above. If you’re passionate about self-driving cars and think you have what it takes to make a positive impact on the world, we encourage you to apply
• Commercial experience within the automotive, mobility, or broader technology sector, particularly at an OEM, Tier 1 supplier, or similarly complex engineering-led organization
• Exposure to AI, data or autonomous vehicle related legal issues
• Experience supporting OEM, strategic partnership, or other large-scale B2B transactions involving hardware, software, data, or integrated technology solutions
• Experience supporting commercial or employment matters in Germany, including familiarity with the German legal and regulatory environment and working with German stakeholders and local counsel
• Cross-border commercial advisory experience across the UK, US, Europe and Japan
• Experience helping to automate and scale legal processes, templates, or commercial legal functions