Managing Counsel, Commercial - Partnerships

Overview

This role offers an opportunity to join a global HR technology organization as Managing Counsel - Partnerships. The position is a senior individual contributor role focused on delivering pragmatic and innovative legal solutions for partnership agreements and supporting global sales teams, particularly in the EMEA region. The legal team is experienced, diverse, and collaborative.

Responsibilities

• Strategize, draft, and negotiate complex partnership agreements including embedded services, channel/reseller agreements, and referral programs.
• Collaborate closely with Partnerships, Sales, Finance, and other cross-functional teams to align partnership agreements with business objectives while mitigating legal and operational risks.
• Develop and improve templates, playbooks, processes, and other knowledge resources related to partnership deals.
• Provide additional legal support for EMEA sales by reviewing, redlining, and negotiating commercial agreements alongside regional counsel.
• Deliver legal training and guidance to Partnership and other go-to-market stakeholders to enable effective navigation of complex commercial issues.
• Maintain a solutions-focused approach in negotiations to minimize roadblocks and resolve issues efficiently.

Requirements

• Proven experience leading the structuring and negotiation of strategic, embedded, and channel partnership agreements.
• Expertise in commercial transactions, particularly enterprise-level SaaS agreements and global sales support.
• Strong commercial drafting skills with the ability to create clear, precise, and enforceable partnership frameworks.
• Excellent negotiation skills with a focus on practical, creative solutions to complex commercial challenges.
• Sharp commercial instincts and strategic thinking, balancing business success with legal risk management.
• Strong working knowledge of data protection laws, especially GDPR; familiarity with U.S. data protection laws is a plus.
• Ability to excel in a fast-paced environment, maintaining responsiveness and adaptability under pressure.
• Capacity to work independently while collaborating effectively with Partnerships, Finance, Product, and other teams.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with stakeholders while maintaining independent legal judgment.
• Judicious flexibility in negotiations, knowing when to push back and when to accommodate.
• Demonstrated automation and AI capabilities and fluency.
• A positive attitude with humor and humility.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in the HR Tech industry or familiarity with bespoke HR services agreements is beneficial but not required.

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual salary range: $66,300—$149,150 USD, dependent on location, skills, experience, and market factors.
• Competitive benefits including:
  • Flexible paid time off and working hours with asynchronous work culture.
  • 16 weeks paid parental leave.
  • Mental health support services.
  • Stock options.
  • Learning and home office budgets.
  • Budget for local in-person social events or co-working spaces.
• The organization ensures fair and unbiased compensation aligned with local market rates.

Location

• This is a fully remote position.
• Applications from EMEA time zones will be prioritized; East Coast US time zone is a secondary preference.

Application Process

• Interview with recruiter.
• Interview with hiring manager.
• Written exercise.
• Interview with legal team and stakeholders.
• Bar Raiser interview.
• Reference and prior employment verification checks.

Additional Information

• The role reports to the Director, Legal - Commercial.
• The position is part of the Legal - Commercial (Direct Sales & Partnerships) team.
• The organization embraces diversity and inclusion and encourages applicants from all backgrounds.
• Candidates will be asked about pronouns and demographic information during the process to support equal employment opportunity efforts.
• The organization values AI as a tool while prioritizing human creativity and expertise.
• Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.