Managing Counsel, Commercial - Partnerships

Overview

A global HR technology organization is seeking a Managing Counsel - Partnerships to provide senior-level legal support focused on partnership agreements and commercial transactions. This role is an individual contributor position within the Employment, Product, and Commercial Legal sub-team, supporting global partnership deals including embedded, reseller, and channel arrangements. The role also provides critical support to the EMEA sales team.

Responsibilities

• Strategize, draft, and negotiate complex partnership agreements such as 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 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 capacity to develop creative and practical solutions for 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.
• Demonstrated ability to balance flexibility and firmness in negotiations, acting as a strategic business partner.
• Fluency in automation and AI capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in the HR Tech industry or familiarity with bespoke HR services agreements is beneficial.
• A sense of humor and humility that contributes positively to team dynamics.

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
  • 16 weeks paid parental leave
  • Mental health support services
  • Stock options
  • Learning and development budget
  • Home office budget and IT equipment
  • Budget for local in-person social events or co-working spaces
• Fully remote work with flexibility to plan schedule asynchronously.

Location

• Open to applicants globally, with priority given to candidates in EMEA time zones; secondary preference for U.S. East Coast time zone.

Additional Information

• Reporting to the Director, Legal - Commercial.
• The role involves collaboration with a diverse, international legal team.
• The organization values diversity, equity, and inclusion and encourages applications from underrepresented groups.
• The hiring process includes multiple interviews, a written exercise, reference checks, and employment verification.
• Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Candidates interested in this opportunity should submit their CV or LinkedIn profile in English.