Corporate Counsel

Job Description

Vaisala is a global leader in measurement instruments and intelligence helping industries, nations, people, and the planet to thrive. From predicting hurricanes to optimizing renewable energy production, our technology is used where it matters the most - from data centers, windfarms and laboratories to airports, the Arctic and even the surface of Mars. For a second year running, Vaisala got recognized in TIME Magazine's World's Best Companies in Sustainable Growth 2026 study. Our team of close to 2,500 experts and 62 nationalities around the world is committed to taking every measure for the planet. Driven by our shared purpose, curiosity, and pioneering spirit, we stay ahead and make a difference. At Vaisala, you don't have to fit in to belong.

Roles and Responsibilities in Core Processes

Commercial & Sales Support

• Act as primary legal partner to Sales teams in China, providing timely, solution-oriented guidance to stakeholders, and building trust and influencing stakeholders to adopt compliant, ethical business practices.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial contracts and documents, including sales agreements, framework agreements, NDAs, service agreements, and other customer-facing documents.
• Support sales initiatives by structuring deals that are both commercially sound and compliant with Chinese law and Vaisala's policies.
• Advise on risk allocation, liability, and other key terms and compliance requirements in customer contracts.

Third‑Party, Distribution & Supply Chain

• Draft, review, and negotiate agreements with distributors, resellers, agents, suppliers, subcontractors, and other third parties.
• Support legal aspects of Chinese supply chain, including procurement contracts, manufacturing, logistics, and quality/service arrangements.
• Implement and maintain robust third‑party due diligence and onboarding processes, ensuring compliance with anti‑corruption, sanctions, competition, and other applicable laws and Vaisala's policies.
• Monitor and manage legal risks in the distributor and supply chain network, recommending remediation actions as needed.

Ethics, Compliance & Code of Conduct

• Serve as a champion of Vaisala's global code of conduct and ethics standards in China and contribute to the development and implementation of local compliance procedures, controls, and monitoring activities.
• Ensure that commercial practices, marketing programs, and third‑party relationships comply with anti‑bribery/anti‑corruption, competition, and other integrity requirements.
• Provide training and guidance to Sales, and other teams on ethics, compliance, and company policies.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments in China, proactively brief business and other stakeholders on potential impacts, and help interpret and implement new or evolving Chinese regulations affecting the business, including sector‑specific rules where relevant.
• Support interactions with Chinese governmental and regulatory bodies, ensuring that all engagements are conducted ethically and transparently.
• Support internal investigations and remedial actions relating to potential misconduct, in coordination with regional/global Compliance colleagues.

General Legal & Contract Management

• Manage and prioritize a high volume of diverse legal matters, from routine contract reviews to complex, multi‑party negotiations.
• Maintain and develop contract templates and playbooks tailored to China while aligned with global standards.
• Coordinate with regional and global Legal and Compliance colleagues to ensure consistency with group policies, risk appetite, governance, and strategic objectives.
• Support dispute resolution and litigation management in China, including working with external counsel when necessary.
• Contribute to development projects and continuous improvement initiatives within the Legal and Compliance function.

Corporate Governance & Representation

• Manage and coordinate the legal stream in corporate governance, corporate secretarial, and entity management activities for Vaisala group companies registered in China to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, licenses, and Vaisala's corporate governance practices, in collaboration with other local and global support functions.

Competence Requirements

Skills and Knowledge

• Proven ability to partner with and influence Sales and other commercial teams, combining legal integrity with commercial pragmatism.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to address a variety of legal issues independently and prioritize effectively, while knowing when to escalate or seek guidance.
• High ethical standards and personal integrity; able to consistently uphold a Western code of conduct in a complex regulatory and commercial environment.
• Excellent contract review, drafting and negotiation skills in both Chinese and English.
• Solid understanding of:
  • PRC contract, commercial, and corporate governance related laws,
  • Anti‑bribery/anti‑corruption and competition frameworks, and
  • Third‑party risk management in China.
• Strong business acumen: able to interpret data, understand business models and commercial drivers, and translate legal requirements into practical guidance for non‑lawyers.
• Comfortable working in a matrixed, international organization, collaborating effectively across time zones, cultures, and functions.
• Preferred (but not required) Additional Skills and Knowledge:
  • Ability to advise Human Resources team on matters related to local employment law.
  • Ability to advise on Chinese data protection, cybersecurity, and information security requirements impacting operations in China (e.g., customer data, employee data, cross‑border data transfers).
  • Ability to support mergers, acquisitions, and divestments.

Professional Experience

• Significant experience working with Western or multinational companies, either as in‑house counsel or as external counsel handling international clients.
• Strong track record supporting:
  • Commercial contracts and sales organizations in both public procurement and business-to-business contexts,
  • Third‑party distribution, agency, and other partner networks,
  • Supply chain and procurement agreements in China, and
  • corporate governance, corporate secretarial, and entity management activities in China.
• Familiarity with regulatory/government interactions in China.
• Preferred (but not required) Additional Experience:
  • Experience in matters related to local employment law.
  • Experience in Chinese data protection, cybersecurity, and information security requirements impacting operations in China (e.g., customer data, employee data, cross‑border data transfers).
  • Experience in mergers, acquisitions, and divestments.

Educational Requirements

• Qualified PRC lawyer with a law degree from a recognized university.
• 7-8+ years of post‑qualification experience in an in‑house legal department and/or a law firm.

Language

• Native or fluent Mandarin Chinese.
• Excellent written and spoken English is mandatory.