Legal Counsel at MRIguidance

The legal function in a scaling medical-device company is no longer confined to reviewing contracts in the back office. It has become a strategic partner that shapes commercial deals, protects intellectual property, and enables growth across borders. MRIguidance, a Netherlands-based medical imaging technology company, is now hiring its first Legal Counsel to join the team in the Randstad region. This is not just another in-house vacancy—it is a rare opportunity for a commercially minded lawyer to define the legal function from the ground up in a fast-moving, transatlantic scale-up.

The MedTech Legal Frontier: Why This Role Demands More Than a Law Degree

Medical device companies operate at the intersection of innovation, regulation, and global commerce. MRIguidance develops advanced magnetic resonance imaging solutions that are used in clinical and research settings across Europe and the United States. For a legal professional, entering this sector means grappling with complex distributor agreements, healthcare data privacy rules, and IP enforcement risks—all while keeping pace with a business that cannot afford legal bottlenecks.

“You understand the difference between being a legal blocker and a legal enabler, and you default to the latter.”

This line from the job description captures the essence of the role. MRIguidance is explicitly seeking a lawyer who sees legal as a tool for business enablement, not a bureaucratic obstacle. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing day-to-day legal operations, negotiating long-term agreements on both sides of the Atlantic, and ensuring the company remains compliant with data protection regimes like GDPR and HIPAA. The opportunity is ideal for a lawyer who thrives on variety and wants to have a tangible impact on a company’s commercial trajectory.

Inside the Mandate: Drafting, Negotiating, and Automating

The responsibilities outlined by MRIguidance go far beyond boilerplate contract review. The Legal Counsel will act as the company's first dedicated legal hire, which means the role is as much about building systems as it is about solving individual issues. Key areas of focus include:

• Transatlantic Contract Management – Drafting and negotiating customer, supplier, distributor, trial, and partner agreements that span the EU and US, with an understanding of cross-border terms such as exclusivity, territory rights, milestone obligations, and termination provisions.
• Risk and Liability Assessment – Supporting management by identifying contract risks, liability exposure, and indemnification structures, ensuring the company is protected without becoming overly conservative.
• Intellectual Property Protection – Safeguarding MRIguidance’s IP in commercial deals through carefully drafted licensing terms, confidentiality clauses, and infringement indemnities, while also advising on enforcement and licensing strategies.
• Privacy and Compliance – Monitoring compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, and general commercial and corporate law, and flagging risks early in deal negotiations.
• Legal Operations and Digitalization – Contributing to the ongoing digitalization of legal operations, including automating contract lifecycle processes with AI tools, templates, clause libraries, and approval workflows.
• Internal Advisory – Acting as the primary point of contact for routine legal questions from sales, HR, and operations teams, making legal accessible across the organization.

This is a role for someone who enjoys rolling up their sleeves. Because MRIguidance is hiring its first legal counsel, there is no playbook to follow. The successful candidate will be expected to build a library of scalable templates, develop process guides, and standardise recurring legal work. This is both a challenging and rewarding prospect—it offers an unparalleled opportunity to shape a legal function from zero to maturity.

The Candidate MRIguidance Is Looking For

The eligibility criteria for this Legal Counsel position are deliberately demanding. MRIguidance wants a lawyer with a strong academic foundation and hands-on commercial experience. The baseline includes:

• An LLM or Master’s degree in Law, with a preference for Private Law or Commercial Law.
• Three to five or more years of post-qualification experience, ideally a blend of law firm and in-house roles.
• A proven track record of independently drafting and negotiating distribution, licensing, and customer agreements.
• Solid working knowledge of GDPR and ideally HIPAA in a commercial context.
• Confidence in negotiating both EU-governed and US-governed contracts.
• Excellent written and spoken English, given the transatlantic nature of the work.
• A pragmatic, business-minded mindset with a collaborative spirit and a genuine appetite for working in a fast-moving scale-up.

Notably, the job description states that no bar admission is required—what matters is commercial experience and the ability to deliver practical legal advice. This makes the role accessible to lawyers who may have built their expertise outside traditional private practice, including those with strong secondment or startup experience. The emphasis on “legal enabler” signals that the company values judgement over rigid rule-application.

How to Build a Winning Application for This Legal Counsel Job

Landing a role like this requires demonstrating more than just legal expertise. MRIguidance is a scale-up in the medical technology space, so your application should speak to both your legal skills and your ability to operate in a dynamic environment. Here are some steps to make your candidacy stand out:

• Highlight your cross-border experience – Provide specific examples of agreements you have negotiated across EU and US jurisdictions, and show that you understand the nuances of data protection in both regions.
• Showcase your automation mindset – Mention any experience with contract lifecycle management tools, AI-based legal tech, or template standardisation. MRIguidance explicitly values candidates who can contribute to digitalisation.
• Emphasise a commercial approach – Use examples where you helped close a deal by offering practical legal solutions, rather than simply identifying risks. This aligns with the “legal enabler” philosophy.
• Tailor your CV to the medical device sector – If you have experience in healthcare, medical devices, or life sciences, be sure to highlight it. If not, demonstrate a genuine interest in the sector through research or relevant coursework.
• Prepare for a hands-on interview – Expect questions about how you would build a contract template library, automate a workflow, or handle a scenario involving a GDPR issue in a customer agreement. Be ready to discuss your approach to prioritisation and risk tolerance.

Since the application link points directly to MRIguidance’s vacancy page, it is wise to submit a tailored cover letter alongside your resume. The letter should reflect your understanding of the company’s mission and your enthusiasm for building a legal function from the ground up.

The Career Impact of Joining MRIguidance

For a legal professional at the mid-career level, this Legal Counsel position offers several long-term benefits. First, it provides the opportunity to work directly with leadership on significant commercial deals, giving you exposure to high-level strategy and negotiation. Second, it allows you to become a subject-matter expert in medical device regulatory frameworks—a niche and highly valuable area of law. Third, it enables you to develop legal operations skills that are increasingly in demand as corporations embrace digital transformation.

Being the first legal hire also means you can set the cultural tone for how legal is perceived within the organisation. If you build efficient processes and foster collaborative relationships, you will establish yourself as an indispensable partner. As MRIguidance grows, your role could evolve into a leadership position, potentially overseeing a broader legal and compliance function.

The Randstad region—which encompasses Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht—is a vibrant hub for international business and legal talent. Working there places you at the centre of European commerce while maintaining access to a strong network of legal professionals. For lawyers who are looking to pivot from law firm life to an in-house role with meaningful impact, this is a compelling path.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is a Dutch bar admission required to apply for this Legal Counsel role?

No, the job description explicitly states that “no bar admission is required.” While you must have an LLM or Master’s in Law and 3-5+ years of experience, the company values commercial experience and practical legal skills over formal bar membership.

2. What does “Randstad” mean in terms of work location?

Randstad is the conurbation in the Netherlands that includes major cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht. The exact office location is not specified in the posting, but candidates should be prepared to work in the Randstad area and potentially travel within the region.

3. How important is experience with HIPAA for this role?

HIPAA experience is not strictly required; GDPR is the primary data protection framework mentioned. However, since MRIguidance operates on both sides of the Atlantic, familiarity with HIPAA is considered a plus and will likely be highly relevant when dealing with US customers and partners.

4. Will the Legal Counsel role involve managing external legal counsel?

The job posting indicates that the successful candidate will “effectively utilize external specialists when required.” This means you will have the autonomy to engage outside counsel for specialised matters while handling the bulk of day-to-day legal work internally. It is a hybrid model that requires both hands-on execution and strategic management skills.