Legal Counsel / Contracts Specialist – Deep Tech, Material Sciences & Engineering

About the role

ETH Zurich's Research Contracts Office, part of the Vice Presidency for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations, is hiring a permanent Legal Counsel / Contracts Specialist in Zurich. The team of over 20 legal professionals acts as the legal backbone of the university's innovation ecosystem, advising researchers in departments such as Material Science, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing. The role sits at the interface of science and industry, covering topics such as sustainable energy, quantum materials, robotics, advanced composites and novel chemical processes.

Key responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate complex research agreements, industrial collaboration contracts (ISBs), multi-party consortium agreements, technology transfer agreements, material transfer agreements (MTAs) and NDAs with global corporations, start-ups and international consortia.
• Advise professors, project managers and tech leads on intellectual property allocations, ownership of foreground results, background protection, software licensing and publication rights.
• Negotiate with international companies and universities on behalf of ETH Zurich.
• Work with the patent and spin-off transfer office, the General Counsel's office, export control specialists and compliance teams.
• Contribute to contract templates and negotiation playbooks and run workshops on contractual and IP best practices.

Required profile

• Master's degree in Law (MLaw / LL.M. / State Examination or equivalent); Swiss law is an asset, as are international or common law qualifications with strong tech contract expertise.
• Ideally 3+ years of experience in contract drafting, negotiation and IP management in a technology company, law firm, research institution or in-house team.
• Excellent spoken and written English; German at least B2/C1 is essential, French is a plus.
• Strong negotiation skills and a collaborative, service-oriented approach.

Required skills

• Solid grasp of intellectual property law, licensing mechanics and liability frameworks.
• Interest in engineering, physical sciences and deep-tech trends.

What we offer

• A supportive team of 20+ lawyers with shared knowledge.
• Hybrid/flexible working and high autonomy over your portfolio.
• Competitive compensation, pension schemes, public transport discounts and access to campus facilities.

Applications must be submitted online through the ETH Zurich application portal, with a letter of motivation, CV, employment references and diplomas.