Join a team that is changing millions of lives. 

Transforming smiles, changing lives. 

At Align Technology, we believe a great smile can transform a person’s life, so we create technology that gives people the confidence to take on whatever’s next. We revolutionized the orthodontic industry with the introduction of the Invisalign system, and we have never lost sight of that spirit of innovation. Our diverse and collaborative teams are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. 

Ready to join us?

About this opportunity 

We are looking for a talented lawyer to join the AE (Americas and EMEA) Legal Team and fill the role of Lead Counsel DACH.  This is a high potential position for a lawyer who will act as the lawyer responsible for the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). The successful candidate will be part of the DACH Leadership Team and provide strategic business advice to functional leaders on a wide variety of commercial, corporate and compliance matters as they arise from the day-to-day operations of a public global company, operating in a highly regulated sector and poised for significant growth.

The candidate should have international experience gained in another medical device or healthcare company or the healthcare team of a leading law firm. With strong business acumen, the Lead Counsel DACH should have the gravitas to influence and negotiate with key internal and external stakeholders.

The role is hybrid with 3-days a week in the office in Cologne, Germany, and will report to the Legal Director Europe located in Cologne, Germany.

• manage all legal matters and potential risks to Align business in the markets you support, navigating heterogenous legal landscape, always in compliance with Align Policies, Code of Conduct and strategy.
• interface with all disciplines and departments within Align supporting the DACH region. This will include, but not limited to, commercial, corporate, regulatory, competition, data privacy, litigation, public affairs and compliance support.
• have a chance to work closely with various cross-functional teams and global centers of excellence on various regional and global projects.

The key missions will include:

• Lead responsibility for all legal matters in the region covering Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
• Provide high quality legal and strategic advice and day-to-day support to the commercial and other functional teams.
• Anticipate and address critical legal, business and ethical issues.
• Support the organization in public affairs activities and litigation.
• Work closely with the local HR Department on general employment issues or other issues common to HR and Legal.
• Plan and deliver risk-based training programs including interactions with HCPs, competition law, etc.
• Effectively establish and manage relationships with external counsels.
• Work closely with the rest of the AE (and in particular European) Legal Department and the Global Compliance and Data Privacy Team as to create, develop, implement and maintain a risk-based compliance program with consistent and effective European policies and procedure, that also reflect domestic laws, regulations and culture. 
• Advise and keep the Legal Director Europe updated on business management of critical projects in a timely manner and assist in reviewing all matters relating to compliance and financial reporting as appropriate.

• Qualified German lawyer, licensed to practice under German law
• 7+ years minimum post-bar experience, ideally gained within healthcare/medical environment as in-house lawyer or with a law firm representing healthcare clients
• Experience within medical device sector or wider pharmaceutical, biotechnology or life sciences sectors; exposure to competition law, data privacy and compliance preferred.
• Strong transactional and drafting skills.
• Fluent in both spoken and written German and English, any other European language is a plus.

Additional skills:

• Highly motivated and enthusiastic individual with demonstrated initiative, adaptability and integrity.
• Enjoy working in an international, challenging, fast paced and dynamic workplace.
• Solid business acumen and thoughtful, sensitive and persuasive interpersonal skills.
• Result-driven, collaborative, focused, excellent in multitasking, flexible and willing to learn and adapt to a continuously changing legal environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to communicate effectively with a broad audience including medical, legal and highly specialized technical individuals, with strong but diplomatic presence.
• Experience in handling a high volume of activity involving multiple and often complex projects simultaneously, and ability to deal positively when working within tight time pressure and demanding clients.
• Keeps abreast of changes in laws and regulations that may affect the DACH region and/or Align operations.
• Identifies unmet needs and future challenges and proactively proposes strategies to optimize outcomes for Align in the DACH region.
• Impeccable business and risk management judgment and ethics.
• Confident team player and ability to develop relationships and networks at all levels.
• Experience of working with major US domiciled corporations and multicultural teams preferred. 

Sound like a good fit?    

Great! Click the "Apply" link to let us know you are interested. Not the right fit? Don’t worry, Align is quickly growing so we are creating more opportunities to expand our Align family. Please consider joining our Talent Network to receive notifications about future jobs or sharing this opportunity with others in your network.     

About Align   

Align Technology is a publicly traded medical device company that is transforming smiles and changing lives. Our global team of talented employees develop innovative technology, tools and treatment options to help dental professionals worldwide achieve the clinical results they expect. Our digital ecosystem combines the power of technology to create beautiful smiles through the integration of AI and machine learning, digital imaging and visualization, biomechanics and material science to develop the Invisalign system, the most advanced clear aligner system in the world; iTero Intraoral Scanners and OrthoCAD digital services. Did you know? Align is the world’s largest manufacturer of custom 3D-printed materials.    

By joining Align, you will be part of a global, fast-growing company in one of the most dynamic industries. Great people, innovative technologies, and meaningful work – these are just some of the things employees say make Align Technology a great place to work.    

We respect your privacy. Please review our Applicant Privacy Policies for additional information.   

 Global Diversity Statement:

At Align, we believe in the power of a smile, and we know that every smile is as unique as our employees. As we grow, we will continue building a workforce of diverse cultural backgrounds and life experiences and fostering a culture of open-mindedness and compassion for all our employees. We live our company values by promoting healthy people and healthy communities. All with the intent of changing millions of lives, one unique smile at a time.

Equal Opportunity Statement

It is our policy to provide equal employment opportunity in all of our employment practices without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, protected veteran status, age, individuals with disabilities, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression or any other legally protected category. Applicants for positions with Align must be legally authorized to work in the country which they are applying for and verification of employment eligibility will be required as a condition of hire.