Senior Employment Legal Counsel - EMEA

Senior Employment Legal Counsel – EMEA

Location: Dublin, Ireland (Hybrid)

Position summary:

We are seeking a practical, solutions-oriented Senior Employment Legal Counsel to support our growing global workforce in EMEA. As the first employment counsel located outside of the U.S., you will have the unique opportunity to make a profound impact on how we build and scale employment programs globally.

Reporting to the VP, Deputy General Counsel located in the U.S., you will be the primary employment law expert for Bentley’s EMEA HR teams. You will handle the full spectrum of employment matters—from day-to-day advisory work to complex disputes, acquisitions, and restructuring—while shaping policies that reflect best-in-class practice under applicable regional laws.

Responsibilities:

• Strategic Advisory: Provide day-to-day legal counseling to the HR team and business partners on a range of EMEA employment matters, including hiring, performance management, internal investigations, disciplinary processes, and employee relations.
• Global Mobility & Immigration: Act as the legal lead for EMEA Global Mobility. Provide expert guidance on visa work permits, sponsorship requirements (including Critical Skills), and Right to Work compliance to support international talent acquisition.
• Compliance & Data Privacy: Provide counsel on EU employment and labor law matters, including the Working Time Directive and GDPR as it applies to employee data.
• Contract Management: Advise on and draft offer letters, employment contracts, separation/settlement agreements, and contractor/consultancy agreements across various EMEA jurisdictions.
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution: Manage employment litigation and tribunal proceedings across EMEA, overseeing external counsel and developing defense strategies.
• Organizational Change: Advise on workforce restructuring, business transfers (TUPE/ARD), and collective redundancy obligations under applicable EU and national laws.
• Policy Development: Develop and implement scalable employment policies, handbooks, and training programs that support a high-growth global workforce.
• M&A Support: Provide legal support for mergers and acquisitions, including due diligence and post-acquisition integration of employees.

Qualifications:

• Legal Qualification: Must be a qualified lawyer with a current practicing certificate from the Law Society of Ireland (or another EU jurisdiction with equivalent experience).
• Experience: 6+ years of substantive post-qualification experience (PQE) in employment law. This must include experience in a reputable Irish or international law firm.
• Subject Matter Expertise: Strong grounding in EU employment law with demonstrable knowledge of national implementation across EMEA jurisdictions.
• Communication: Commercially minded with the ability to provide clear, actionable advice to non-lawyer stakeholders.
• Collaboration: Excellent drafting and interpersonal skills with a collaborative approach to working with U.S.-based legal leadership and regional HR partners.
• Global Mobility Knowledge: Desirable experience in managing immigration legalities, including work permit sponsorship and relocation compliance.
• In-House Experience: At least one year of in-house experience within a high-growth technology company is strongly preferred

What We Offer

• A great Team and culture – please see our colleague video. 
• An exciting career as an integral part of a world-leading software company providing solutions for architecture, engineering, and construction - watch this short documentary about how we got our start. 
• An attractive salary and benefits package. 
• A commitment to inclusion, belonging, and colleague well-being through global initiatives and resource groups. 
• A company committed to making a real difference by advancing the world’s infrastructure for a better quality of life, where your contributions help build a more sustainable, connected, and resilient world. Discover our latest user success stories for an insight into our global impact. 

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About Bentley Systems

Around the world, infrastructure professionals rely on software from Bentley Systems to help them design, build, and operate better and more resilient infrastructure for transportation, water, energy, cities, and more. Founded in 1984 by engineers for engineers, Bentley is the partner of choice for engineering firms and owner-operators worldwide, with software that spans engineering disciplines, industry sectors, and all phases of the infrastructure lifecycle. Through our digital twin solutions, we help infrastructure professionals unlock the value of their data to transform project delivery and asset performance. www.bentley.com 

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Bentley is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers for employment all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, religion/belief, national origin, caste, age, or any other characteristic protected by local law or unrelated to job qualifications.

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