Legal Counsel at fonio (Vienna, Austria)
fonio· Vienna, Austria·
Role details
Job description
About fonio
We grew from $1M to $10M ARR in under 12 months and now serve 10,000+ customers. Fonio is Europe’s market leader for AI phone agents for SMBs. Now we’re expanding globally and into new products. We move fast, take ownership, give direct feedback, and avoid politics and unnecessary meetings. Join one of world´s fastest-growing companies.
The role
You will be the person everyone goes to with a legal question, and you will answer it quickly and practically. One day that is a customer contract, the next a data protection query, a new hire's contract. You will build Fonio's legal foundations from scratch: templates, processes and the right external law firms. This is a hands-on role, not a manager of outside counsel.
What to Expect
- Disputes and litigation: assessment, strategy, steering external counsel
- Trademarks and IP: file and defend our marks, protect our technology, handle open source and licensing
- International: corporate law and compliance for our entities in the EU, UK and US, support for new country incorporations
- Coordinate external law firms and advisors in every country: selection, briefing, budget, quality
- Data protection together with external experts: GDPR, data processing agreements, customer requests, handling of voice data
- Go-to person for Sales, Engineering and Ops on any legal question – pragmatic, fast, understandable
What You Bring
Must-haves
- Qualified lawyer (Austria or Germany) with 4 to 8 years' experience.
- Mix of top law firm training and at least 2 years in-house at a tech or SaaS company.
- Strong commercial contracting and GDPR experience.
- Fluent English, written and spoken.
- Comfortable working alone, prioritising fast and giving clear yes or no answers.
Nice-to-haves
- Experience with AI, telecoms or voice products.
- Exposure to venture funding rounds, M&A or entity set-up abroad.
- Working knowledge of UK or US commercial law.
- Has been the first legal hire at a scale-up before.
What We Offer
- €65,000 to €100,000 + Equity
- Relocation support
- Daily lunch and dinner
- Equipment of your choice
- Regular team off-sites
- On-site in Vienna, working directly with the core-team
Hiring Process
- 15 min intro call
- 30 min skill interview
- 20 min culture fit
Why work at fonio
- Rapid Growth & Impact: The company is in a phase of hypergrowth (40% MoM), and employees are "still early enough that your work will genuinely shape the culture, the product, and the company." fonio.ai/en/careers
- Culture: Described as fast, committed, and in-office by default. The team emphasizes moving fast and having fun. Most roles are Vienna-based, with the expectation of being in the office most days.
- Remote Options: Engineering roles are fully remote (within ±3 hours of CET). For other roles, there is a temporary relocation to Vienna for onboarding (1-3 months), followed by relocation to the target market.
- Relocation Support: The company sponsors travel and accommodation in Vienna for the onboarding period and offers full relocation support for moving to target markets.
- Team Size: Around 40-50 people, with plans to double by the end of the year.
- Hiring Process: A 3-4 step process: 15-minute intro call, 30-45 minute skills interview (sometimes with a case study), potentially a deeper skills or leadership interview, and a final 20-minute culture call with both founders. fonio.ai/en/careers