General Counsel, Circus Group
Offers stock options
AI robotics for the food industry
Job no longer available
AI robotics for the food industry
101-200 employees
Job no longer available
Offers stock options
101-200 employees
Company mission
To fuel humanity by providing global access to balanced nutrition, for everyone, anytime.
Role
Who you are
- We’re looking for a pragmatic legal leader who’s not afraid to dive deep into the business
- Someone who can operate confidently at board level while still reviewing the fine print of a complex SaaS deal or technology partnership
- Law degree and admission to practice law in a relevant jurisdiction
- 10+ years of legal experience, ideally including in-house leadership in a tech-centric, international business
- Deep expertise in commercial contracts, IP, and regulatory topics related to SaaS, robotics, or automation technologies
- Proven experience working in or advising a publicly listed company, including knowledge of securities regulation and capital market compliance
- Strategic mindset with strong operational execution — comfortable shifting between board-level conversations and contract details
- Experience building or scaling legal teams and cross-functional collaboration across borders
- Excellent communication skills and a pragmatic, business-focused approach to problem-solving
- Fluent in English and German
What the job involves
- As our General Counsel, you will serve as Circus’s top legal authority and strategic advisor, guiding our executive team and board through the opportunities and complexities of a public, fast-scaling, and technology-driven environment
- You will lead all legal, compliance, and governance matters across the group — with a particular focus on commercial contracts, intellectual property, and regulatory issues in AI, robotics, and automation
- This role is key to enabling our growth, protecting our innovation, and ensuring we operate with clarity and integrity — across jurisdictions, business models, and stakeholders
- Lead all legal matters across Circus Group, including corporate governance, commercial law, securities law, IP, and regulatory compliance
- Build and implement a scalable legal framework fit for a high-growth, listed technology company
- Serve as trusted legal advisor to the executive team and board of directors
- Draft, review, and negotiate complex contracts — particularly in SaaS, cloud services, automation, supply chain, and global partnerships
- Support commercial teams with deal structuring and risk assessment in B2B enterprise sales and strategic alliances
- Align legal terms with business objectives, product strategy, and customer needs
- Own and protect our global IP portfolio — including patents, trademarks, and copyrights related to robotics, software, and AI
- Work closely with engineering and product teams to align legal protection with innovation cycles
- Monitor relevant tech-related legal developments, including AI regulation and product liability
- Ensure compliance with applicable national and international regulations — especially in data protection (GDPR), product safety, and securities law
- Design and manage internal compliance programs and training initiatives
- Identify legal risks early and develop clear, actionable mitigation strategies
- Advise on legal aspects of public company reporting, disclosure obligations, and investor communications
- Support cross-border activities including market entry, international structuring, and regulatory filings
- Collaborate with Investor Relations and Finance teams to ensure accurate and timely disclosures
- Provide strategic legal counsel to the CEO, CFO, and other senior executives
- Support the board and its committees with documentation, governance, and legal oversight
- Advise on M&A transactions, fundraising activities, and due diligence processes
Our take
German startup Circus Group - formerly Circus Kitchen - was initially founded to develop a delivery app for creating micro kitchen ecosystems. Since acquiring Aitme in 2023, it has maintained its micro-kitchen hub and delivery app but pivoted towards autonomous robotics for kitchen automation.
Aitme's cooking robot will add another level of low-cost, high-quality cuisine to Circus’s offering. Reduced food waste, overhead costs and cooking times are a distinct value-addition to the Hamburg company.
Backed by BlackMars Capital and 2bx, the company expanded its operations into other German cities in 2023. It has since expanded into Beijing, where it will install 5400 autonomous kitchen robots across more than 90 of the city's educational institutions. Projections report that this significant expansion for a European company will raise Circus to Unicorn status. Time will tell if this prediction becomes reality.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Company
Funding (last 2 of 4 rounds)
Nov 2023
$10.6m
EARLY VC
Jul 2023
$6.5m
EARLY VC
Total funding: $31.9m
Company benefits
- Work-Life Balance: Enjoy regular team events, a hybrid work setup, 2 months per year of remote work ("Worcation"), unlimited vacation days, and a corporate pension plan
- Personal Development: €500 personal budget for training, in-house training, and growth opportunities in a fast-paced environment
- Mobility: Benefit from a €50 monthly budget for mobility or other expenses, and a subsidized Dance Mobility subscription for e-bikes/e-mopeds
- Well-Being: Get access to discounted Urban Sports Club membership and Wellhub offerings for well-being activities
Company HQ
Altstadt, Hamburg, Germany
Leadership
Nikolas Bullwinkel
(Co-Founder & CEO)Previously co-founded the fresh food delivery service, Flink. Also worked as a Communications Manager at Digital Hub Logistics Hamburg and as a Project Manager at Weischer.Media.
Helge Plehn
(Co-Founder & CTO)Serial Entrepreneur having co-founded poolynk, DoctorPrime, and Medikamendo. Also worked on the Executive/Supervisory Board at initions.
Carsten Wille
(Co-Founder & CCO)Previously founded etepetete and FUTURE STORIES where they served as the CEO.
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