Legal Counsel - Commercial & Regulatory Affairs

Emesent is an Australian deep technology company specialising in autonomous drone mapping and LiDAR-based spatial intelligence. The company’s flagship product, Hovermap, enables autonomous data capture in GPS-denied and hazardous environments across mining, construction, defence, and government sectors globally. Why this role? This role is the company’s first dedicated in-house legal and compliance hire, reporting directly to the CFO. The Legal Counsel will establish and own the legal and regulatory affairs function across the business, providing commercial legal support, building the product compliance and certification framework, managing employment law matters across both jurisdictions, and coordinating the company’s panel of external specialist law firms. The role exists because Emesent’s growth trajectory — expansion into regulated markets (EU, US defence), increasing customer compliance requirements, the launch of cloud-based products, and the dual-entity structure — requires a dedicated internal legal and regulatory capability that has not previously existed in the organisation. The successful candidate will be building a function, not stepping into an established one. Key Accountabilities Commercial Contracts Draft, review, and negotiate the full suite of commercial agreements including customer contracts, reseller and channel partner agreements, white-label and OEM arrangements, procurement contracts, and NDAs. Provide legal input on commercial terms for defence and government contracts, including FAR/DFARS flowdown provisions, CMMC requirements, and sector-specific compliance obligations embedded in contract terms. Support the commercial team on deal structuring, particularly for Hardware-as-a-Service, subscription licensing, and hybrid revenue models. Manage the contract lifecycle including template maintenance, delegation of authority framework, and contract risk assessment. Regulatory Affairs & Product Compliance Establish and own the company’s compliance register and product certification roadmap, aligned to the product development lifecycle and market-entry strategy. Manage market-access certifications across all operating jurisdictions (CE marking, FCC, ACMA, MIC, and equivalent frameworks) in coordination with external certification bodies and testing laboratories. Lead the trade and export compliance program, including ITAR/EAR obligations for the US entity, conflict minerals due diligence (Dodd-Frank Section 1502, EU Regulation 2017/821), and sanctions screening. Own the regulatory risk assessment for new market entries, new product launches, and new customer channels, ensuring compliance is integrated into commercial decision-making rather than addressed reactively. Manage customer-driven compliance requirements, including responding to compliance questionnaires, due diligence requests, and partner onboarding requirements. Lead the data privacy and cyber security compliance framework for cloud products, including GDPR, Australian Privacy Act, and security certification requirements (SOC 2, ISO 27001) for enterprise and government customers. Develop and implement a compliance governance framework with standing reporting to the CFO and Board/Audit & Risk Committee on compliance posture Employment Law Provide first-response legal advice on employment law matters across Australian and US jurisdictions, including employment contracts, terminations, workplace investigations, non-compete and restraint of trade provisions, and workplace policies. Support HR on policy development and review, ensuring alignment with applicable employment legislation in both jurisdictions. Manage employment-related disputes and coordinate with external employment law specialists for complex or contentious matters. Monitor legislative developments in employment law across both jurisdictions and advise leadership on compliance implications IP Protection