Commercial Counsel

About the role

Ashby is seeking a Commercial Counsel to join its growing legal team. This is a key hire to establish and scale the company's commercial contracting functions, working closely with sales and procurement teams. You will play a foundational role in building efficient processes and providing essential legal support for the company's expansion.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Serve as the primary point of contact for commercial contract reviews, with a strong emphasis on sales agreements and significant involvement in procurement matters.
• Contribute to the development of comprehensive in-house sales support by reviewing, drafting, and negotiating customer agreements like MSAs, Order Forms, and DPAs with a focus on speed and practicality.
• Create internal guidance, external materials, and sales enablement resources to streamline commercial contracting.
• Design and implement efficient workflows and playbooks to ensure scalable commercial contracting processes, collaborating with Legal Operations.
• Act as a responsive and trusted partner to the sales team and other internal departments.
• Manage a consistent volume of procurement and vendor contract reviews, supporting various business functions.
• Collaborate with security, IT, and product teams to ensure timely and accurate responses to customer and prospect inquiries.
• Contribute to the improvement of legal operations, including contract lifecycle management and quoting tools, and drive adoption of new technologies.
• Identify and engage in other legal initiatives as the team expands, bringing a proactive and problem-solving approach.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and an active US law license.
• 6-8 years of legal experience, including at least 4 years in-house at a startup or a rapidly growing company, ideally as an early legal hire.
• Experience within a SaaS or high-growth technology company, with a solid understanding of SaaS business models and contract terms.
• Proven track record in negotiating commercial contracts (both customer and vendor-side) that have directly supported business growth.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with sales teams and cross-functional partners.
• Sound judgment and the capacity to balance legal risks with business objectives.
• Exceptional written communication skills, capable of explaining complex legal concepts and developing clear, precise internal and external materials.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and transactions simultaneously.

Nice to have

• Experience working with a legal operations function and implementing legal technology tools.
• Familiarity with AI regulations and data privacy frameworks such as GDPR and CCPA.

Skills & tools

• Commercial contracting
• Sales negotiation
• Procurement negotiation
• Contract lifecycle management (CLM)
• Legal operations
• SaaS agreements
• Data privacy agreements (DPAs)
• Written communication
• Process improvement
• AI and legal technology adoption

Practical notes

• This is a fully remote position within the United States.
• The company offers a competitive salary and equity package.
• Benefits include a 10-year stock option exercise window, unlimited PTO (with a recommended four weeks), 12 weeks of paid family leave in the US, and a generous budget for equipment and professional development.
• Ashby provides comprehensive health insurance for employees and dependents, with premiums covered by the company.
• The application process is thorough and includes a recruiter screen, hiring manager interview, a practical assessment, and a final round with cross-functional partners.
• Ashby is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion.