Head of Legal at Orbital Eye, Delft

Building the Legal Backbone of a Satellite-Powered Infrastructure Sentinel

Imagine a courtroom where the evidence is collected from orbit. Orbital Eye, a Dutch deep-tech scale-up, is not litigating after the damage occurs—it is preventing damage to the world's most critical infrastructure using satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, and geospatial analytics. Its COSMIC-EYE platform continuously monitors thousands of kilometers of pipelines, electricity grids, and other essential assets, detecting Third-Party Interference (TPI) before it becomes a catastrophic incident. With a detection accuracy above 95% and more than 13 years of operational data, the company has become the technology and market leader in its niche, serving dozens of customers worldwide.

This is the context for a unique leadership opportunity: Orbital Eye is hiring its first Head of Legal. The role is not a back-office position. It is a chance to architect an entire legal function from a blank slate, at a moment when the company is scaling from a 40-person, 15-nationality team to an 80+ person organization spanning Europe and the United States. A Series A growth round is underway, new geographies and sub-segments are opening, and the legal centre of gravity must be established now. This guide breaks down the role, its strategic importance, and how you can position yourself as the ideal candidate.

Why This Role Matters More Than a Standard In-House Counsel Job

Most senior legal roles require you to inherit an existing team, a set of precedents, and an established playbook. Orbital Eye explicitly states: "You will not inherit a legal function but get the chance to design it." That promise speaks to a rare combination of entrepreneurial ownership and legal sophistication. The legal centre of gravity will sit one level below the C-suite, reporting directly to the CFO and partnering with the Management Team on decisions that shape the company's next phase.

"One week you are negotiating a multi-year contract with a Tier-1 European utility, the next you are working through an investor's due diligence list, the week after you are shaping our IP strategy for a new geography, and somewhere in between you are advising on a US commercial agreement."

This breadth is not accidental. The company operates through multiple legal entities in the Netherlands and the United States, serves clients across Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia, and is extending its technology into new verticals such as electricity transmission grids. The Head of Legal will be the person whose fingerprints are on virtually every significant decision—commercial deals, investor negotiations, intellectual property strategy, corporate governance, and international expansion. It is a hands-on role, but one with a clear growth path: the posting notes that it is intended to evolve towards General Counsel, with the opportunity to build and lead a legal team as the company scales.

Breaking Down the Day-to-Day: Contracts, Capital Raises, and Cross-Border Complexity

The responsibilities list is long, but each item represents a distinct test of your legal and commercial acumen. Here is what you can expect to own in this role:

• Contract Leadership: Directly negotiate framework agreements, NDAs, DPAs, and complex commercial terms with sophisticated counterparties—including Tier-1 utilities and global critical infrastructure operators.
• Full Commercial Contracting Cycle: Own customer agreements, partner and reseller contracts, supplier agreements, and SaaS terms from drafting to execution.
• Financing and M&A: Support the Series A round and future financing through SHAs, SPAs, term sheets, and debt instruments, plus investor due diligence; also support M&A activity from diligence through post-merger integration.
• IP Strategy: Work with trademark attorneys and patent advisors to protect IP across the EU, US, and other key jurisdictions, and position IP for grant applications.
• Corporate Foundation: Manage governance, intercompany arrangements, and entity setup as the company expands into new geographies.
• Compliance Framework: Build and maintain pragmatic GDPR compliance, regulatory compliance for dual-use and international trade, anti-bribery policies, and information security frameworks.
• Strategic Advisory: Advise the Management Team and Board on governance, employment law, and regulatory risk.
• External Counsel Management: Coordinate external counsel across jurisdictions, ensuring quality without losing speed or budget control.

This is not a role for someone who wants to deep-dive into a single legal specialty. It is a role for a legal entrepreneur who thrives on variety and can switch from Dutch law to US contract law to GDPR compliance in a single afternoon.

Who Should Step Into the COSMIC-EYE Control Room?

The ideal candidate profile is precise but not restrictive. Orbital Eye is looking for a lawyer with 6–10 years of experience in contract law, gained at a top-tier law firm, in-house at a scaling tech company, or a combination of both. You must have a demonstrated record of negotiating complex commercial contracts directly with large corporate clients—not just drafting in the background. Fluency in English and Dutch is mandatory, as is a solid foundation in Dutch and EU law. Experience with US contract law is a strong plus, reflecting the company's New York presence and growing US client base.

Beyond technical skills, the posting emphasises mindset: sharp judgment, commercial instinct, the ability to make pragmatic calls under time pressure, and the energy to build structure rather than follow process. This is a defining characteristic of a scale-up legal role. You will not have a team of juniors to delegate to; you will be the team, at least initially.

One critical caveat is stated clearly: Orbital Eye is unable to provide work permit sponsorship for this role. Candidates must already have the right to work in the Netherlands. If you are an expat or international lawyer without EU work authorisation, you may need to look elsewhere—or arrange your own sponsorship via a Dutch highly skilled migrant visa before applying.

Preparing an Application That Stands Out

Given the level of the role and the company's growth phase, a generic cover letter will not suffice. Here are strategic tips to position yourself effectively:

• Show breadth with depth: Highlight specific deals you have led from negotiation to closing, and explain how you managed cross-border complexity. Use numbers—deal value, contract volume, jurisdictions involved.
• Demonstrate commercial instinct: Legal problems in a scale-up are business problems. Share examples where you balanced legal risk with commercial objectives, or where you helped shape a deal structure rather than merely reviewing terms.
• Emphasise US exposure: If you have experience with US contracts, make it visible early. The posting notes this is a strong plus.
• Show ownership mentality: The company wants someone who is energised by building from scratch. Talk about times you created a process, a template, or a compliance framework that did not exist before.
• Be direct about your right to work: Since sponsorship is impossible, state your eligibility up front to avoid wasted effort on both sides.

Applications should be directed through the LinkedIn job posting, with questions sent to Mia Imming-Horvath at mia.horvath@orbitaleye.nl. The company explicitly says no agencies or recruiters, so direct applications are the only route.

The Broader Significance of This Opportunity

Orbital Eye is not merely hiring a lawyer; it is investing in the legal foundation of a company that protects society's most critical systems. As pipelines, electricity grids, and other infrastructure become increasingly vulnerable to interference, the technology that provides continuous visibility becomes essential. The Head of Legal will be the person who enables that technology to scale across borders, secure investment, and navigate a complex regulatory landscape. For a lawyer who wants to be at the intersection of law, technology, and global security, this role offers an unusually compelling mission.

If you meet the criteria and are excited by the prospect of designing a legal function from the ground up, this is an opportunity to leave a lasting mark on a fast-moving, high-impact industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does Orbital Eye sponsor work visas for this position?

No. The job description explicitly states that the company is unable to provide work permit sponsorship. Candidates must already have the right to work in the Netherlands.

2. What is the salary range for the Head of Legal role?

The posting does not specify a salary range. Interested candidates are encouraged to reach out to the HR contact, Mia Imming-Horvath, for more details.

3. I have mostly law firm experience, not in-house. Can I still apply?

Yes. The ideal profile explicitly includes experience gained at a top-tier law firm, in-house at a scaling tech company, or a combination of both. What matters most is a demonstrated track record of negotiating complex commercial contracts directly with large corporate clients.

4. What is the intended career progression from this role?

According to the job description, the role is intended to grow with the company towards General Counsel, including the opportunity to build and lead a legal team as Orbital Eye scales beyond its current 40-person footprint.