Senior Contracts Counsel - Web3

About the role

Zama is an open-source cryptography company building FHE solutions for blockchain, with headquarters in Paris and a remote-friendly setup. It is looking for a Senior Contracts Counsel with hands-on web3 expertise to join its legal team, reporting to the General Counsel and working alongside the Senior Legal Counsel. The role reviews, redlines and negotiates the contracts powering the Zama Protocol across Zama SAS, Zama Switzerland and Vesting Labs UK, partnering daily with business development, engineering, finance and operations teams.

Key responsibilities

• Review, redline and negotiate a high volume of DeFi, web3 and commercial agreements, including custody, vault and wallet, market maker, listing, infrastructure services, integration, master services, loan, partnership, incentive and grant programs, node operator agreements, MoUs, NDAs and side letters.
• Draft and maintain product-facing legal documentation such as bug bounty terms, terms and conditions and privacy notices.
• Lead negotiations directly with counterparties and their counsel, translating legal risk into pragmatic options and closing within tight timelines.
• Design creative deal structures and draft bespoke agreements under Swiss and English law, as well as New York law-style agreements.
• Embed compliance into contracts: KYC/KYB, AML/CFT, sanctions, counterparty due diligence, MiCA and Swiss regulatory (FINMA/AMLA) considerations, export control and token risks.
• Manage several files in parallel, build contract templates, negotiation playbooks, clause libraries and a register of commitments and renewals.
• Leverage AI-assisted review and legal tech tools, collaborate with external counsel and stay up to date on DeFi, web3 and digital asset custody regulations.

Required profile

• Masters' degree in law and admission to practice in a European jurisdiction or Switzerland, or equivalent senior legal experience.
• 8+ years of confirmed experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating complex commercial agreements in a leading law firm and/or in-house.
• Proven hands-on experience with web3 and DeFi contracts at a crypto company, custodian, exchange, foundation or advisory law firm.
• Knowledge of cryptocurrency and digital asset markets, and strong command of Anglo-Saxon contract drafting and negotiation, including English law and New York law-style agreements.
• Full professional fluency in English; French is a strong plus, and bilingual French-English profiles are highly appreciated.
• Experience in an international, fast-changing, high-growth environment, with creativity and an entrepreneurial mindset.

Required skills

• Preferred: admission to practice in the United States (e.g. New York).
• Preferred: experience at a crypto custodian, exchange or foundation, familiarity with token documentation, and knowledge of Swiss contract law.
• Preferred: practical knowledge of KYC/KYB, AML/CFT, sanctions, MiCA and Swiss financial regulation, GDPR and Swiss data protection law, and hands-on use of AI-assisted contract review tools.

Candidates apply through an online application form, then complete a challenge, a technical interview, a cultural fit meeting with the COO, a 2-day trial and a reference check before receiving an offer.