Commercial Counsel

Overview

This role involves serving as the first in-house legal leader to build and scale a modern legal function focused on commercial contracting as a strategic growth driver. Reporting to the CFO, the successful candidate will design and operate an AI-enabled contracting function that accelerates deal velocity, reduces friction, and enables efficient business scaling. Within six months, the individual will own end-to-end contracting operations, implement foundational systems and playbooks, and become the primary legal partner across Sales, Finance, and the executive team.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate and execute commercial SaaS agreements including Master Service Agreements (MSAs), subscription agreements, Data Processing Agreements (DPAs), and Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), enabling rapid business movement within defined guardrails.
• Enforce company positions on non-standard terms and manage escalation paths to improve time-to-signature without increasing legal or commercial risk.
• Train and enable Sales teams to handle routine negotiations independently, reducing legal bottlenecks.
• Lead the end-to-end contracting function for all customer and vendor agreements, building a scalable, AI-enabled operation that reduces manual work and accelerates deal cycles.
• Implement and manage a Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system, including templates, negotiation playbooks, approval workflows, and delegation of authority controls.
• Leverage AI-driven legal tools for contract review, risk flagging, and workflow automation, identifying opportunities to reduce outside counsel reliance over time.
• Manage vendor contracting and procurement legal processes, maintaining a contract repository with proactive tracking of key terms and obligations.
• Lead legal aspects of data privacy, including DPA negotiation and regulatory alignment with GDPR, CCPA, and related frameworks; monitor evolving requirements across operating and customer geographies.
• Partner with Security, Product, and Executive Leadership on emerging legal and regulatory requirements related to AI, data governance, automated decision-making, intellectual property, and responsible AI practices.
• Serve as the primary legal advisor across commercial and operational matters, managing outside counsel relationships in the US and Europe with a focus on cost efficiency and minimizing routine escalations.
• Handle disputes and pre-litigation matters with a pragmatic, resolution-oriented approach.
• Advise on corporate entity compliance programs.
• Collaborate with Security during privacy and security events, coordinating on notification obligations, contractual commitments, regulatory requirements, and privilege preservation.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree and active bar membership in good standing.
• 5–8 years of legal experience in SaaS or technology sectors, either in-house or a combination of law firm and in-house roles.
• Strong experience negotiating commercial SaaS agreements including MSAs, subscription agreements, DPAs, and NDAs.
• Working knowledge of data privacy frameworks such as GDPR, CCPA, and related regulations.
• Demonstrated ability to operate independently, build processes from scratch, and establish legal infrastructure in a scaling environment.
• Experience partnering with Sales and go-to-market teams in a high-velocity commercial environment.
• Interest in legal technology and AI-driven workflows, with a commitment to building a modern, tech-enabled legal function.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) systems and AI-enabled legal review or drafting tools.
• Background in multi-entity, multi-jurisdiction SaaS businesses with US and EU exposure.
• Prior experience as an early or first in-house legal hire.
• Familiarity with vendor, partner, or channel contracting models.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance for non-legal stakeholders.
• Commercial judgment and pragmatism, balancing legal risk with business velocity and acting as a trusted partner.
• Comfort with ambiguity and a builder's mindset; able to create structure, systems, and processes where none exist.
• Ability to leverage AI tools for contract review, workflow automation, and legal operations, proactively identifying efficiencies through technology.
• Cross-functional collaboration skills with a track record of building trust with Sales, Finance, and executive stakeholders.

Eligible States

Candidates located in the Eastern Standard Time (EST) and Central Standard Time (CST) zones are preferred due to frequent collaboration with international team members. This position is eligible for hire in the following states: Alabama (AL), Arizona (AZ), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Iowa (IA), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Massachusetts (MA), Maryland (MD), Maine (ME), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), North Carolina (NC), New Jersey (NJ), Nevada (NV), New York (NY), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), South Carolina (SC), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Washington (WA), and Wisconsin (WI). Candidates must reside in or be willing to relocate to one of these states at the time of employment. This list may be subject to change based on operational requirements.

Compensation & Benefits

Details on compensation and benefits were not provided in the original description.

Location

Remote within eligible US states listed above, with preference for EST and CST time zones.