Legal Counsel - France

Who we are is what we do.

Deel is the all-in-one payroll and HR platform for global teams. Our vision is to unlock global opportunity for every person, team, and business. Built for the way the world works today, Deel combines HRIS, payroll, compliance, benefits, performance, and equipment management into one seamless platform. With AI-powered tools and a fully owned payroll infrastructure, Deel supports every worker type in 150+ countries—helping businesses scale smarter, faster, and more compliantly.

Among the largest globally distributed companies in the world, our team of 7,000 spans more than 100 countries, speaks 74 languages, and brings a connected and dynamic culture that drives continuous learning and innovation for our customers.

Why should you be part of our success story?

As the fastest-growing Software as a Service (SaaS) company in history, Deel is transforming how global talent connects with world-class companies – breaking down borders that have traditionally limited both hiring and career opportunities. We're not just building software; we're creating the infrastructure for the future of work, enabling a more diverse and inclusive global economy. In 2024 alone, we paid $11.2 billion to workers in nearly 100 currencies and provided healthcare and benefits to workers in 109 countries—ensuring people get paid and protected, no matter where they are.

Our momentum is reflected in our achievements and customer satisfaction: CNBC Disruptor 50, Forbes Cloud 100, Deloitte Fast 500, and repeated recognition on Y Combinator’s top companies list – all while maintaining a 4.83 average rating from 15,000 reviews across G2, Trustpilot, Captera, Apple and Google.

Your experience at Deel will be a career accelerator. At the forefront of the global work revolution, you'll tackle complex challenges that impact millions of people's working lives. With our momentum—backed by a $17.3 billion valuation and $1 B in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) in just over five years—you'll drive meaningful impact while building expertise that makes you a sought-after leader in the transformation of global work.

The Legal Counsel provides comprehensive legal support across the organization, with a primary focus on French employment law and the French umbrella employment model (portage salarial), within an international and fast-growing environment.

The role ensures compliance with applicable legal and regulatory frameworks, secures business operations, anticipates legal risks, and delivers pragmatic, business-oriented legal advice to internal teams (HR, Operations, Finance, Management).

Key Responsibilities
• Act as one of the team’s legal points of reference for French employment law (employment contracts, working time, termination of employment relationships, disciplinary matters, and collective bargaining agreement compliance).
• Ensure the legal and regulatory compliance of the umbrella employment (portage salarial) model, including:
- compliance of employment contracts and umbrella agreements, alignment with client commercial agreements, adherence to the applicable legal and collective bargaining framework.
• Draft, review, and negotiate employment contracts, amendments, termination agreements, and settlement agreements, as well as internal HR policies and procedures.
• Handle sensitive or high-risk matters (pre-litigation, inspections, audits, and labor disputes), in coordination with internal stakeholders and external counsel.
• Manage and coordinate external legal counsel (legal strategy, validation of submissions, case follow-up).
• Contribute to the drafting, review, and negotiation of commercial and corporate agreements related to the company’s business activities.
• Participate in regulatory compliance, corporate governance, and legal risk management matters.
• Support cross-functional and ad hoc legal projects as required by the organization.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of internal legal processes, tools, templates, and legal playbooks.

Profile Requirements
- Qualified lawyer or senior legal counsel with a minimum of 4 years’ experience, demonstrating strong expertise in French employment law.
- Significant experience in a law firm and/or in-house role, with exposure to international clients or environments.
- Solid knowledge of the French umbrella employment (portage salarial) framework.
- Strong command of individual and collective employment law matters.
- Excellent legal drafting, analytical, and negotiation skills.

-Ability to provide clear, structured, and business-focused advice while effectively managing legal risk.

- Full professional fluency in French and English, both written and spoken.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams in a multicultural environment.
- High level of autonomy, rigor, discretion, and strong ethical standards.

- Prior experience in an international or multi-jurisdictional environment is a plus.

Total Rewards

Our workforce deserves fair and competitive pay that meets them where they are. With scalable benefits, rewards, and perks, our total rewards programs reflect our commitment to inclusivity and access for all. 

Some things you’ll enjoy

• Stock grant opportunities dependent on your role, employment status and location

• Additional perks and benefits based on your employment status and country

• The flexibility of remote work, including optional WeWork access

At Deel, we’re an equal-opportunity employer that values diversity and positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, pregnancy or maternity or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

Unless otherwise agreed, we will communicate with job applicants using Deel-specific emails, which include @deel.com and other acquired company emails like @payspace.com and @paygroup.com. You can view the most up-to-date job listings at Deel by visiting our careers page.

Deel is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects different abilities, backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, identities and perspectives.

Deel will provide accommodations on request throughout the recruitment, selection and assessment process for applicants with disabilities. If you require accommodations, please inform our Talent Acquisition Team via this link and a team member will be in touch to ensure your equal participation. If you have difficulty accessing the form, please email at [email protected].

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