Assistant General Counsel – Commercial

NextGenEnergyJobs; Massachusetts; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Commonwealth Fusion Systems seeks a seasoned in-house counsel to architect and lead the commercial legal function. You will structure and negotiate high-value agreements, build scalable contract workflows, templates, and negotiation playbooks, and mentor a growing legal team as the function scales.

You will partner with corporate development and supply chain teams on complex transactions, governance matters, and risk management, ensuring alignment with business objectives and Fusion's mission to

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar admission in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (MA In-House Counsel registration eligible).
• 12+ years of legal experience, with top-tier firm background followed by in-house experience at a fast-growing technology, energy, or industrial company.
• Deep background in drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts, partnerships, and corporate development transactions.

Responsibilities

• Build and scale the Commercial Legal Function with scalable contract workflows, templates, and negotiation playbooks.
• Lead high-stakes commercial and partnership negotiations across customer, supplier, and vendor deals.
• Drive corporate development and strategic partnerships including JVs, investments, licensing, and tech transfers.
• Advise on core corporate matters: governance, entity structuring, and transaction support.
• Provide pragmatic risk management and counsel to senior leadership and cross-functional teams.

Skills

Commercial contracts

Strategic partnerships

Corporate development

Leadership

Risk management

Executive presence

Business acumen

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Bar admission in good standing

Tools

CLM (Contract Lifecycle Management)

Job description

About Commonwealth Fusion Systems:

Responsibilities

• Build & Scale the Commercial Legal Function Serve as the architect of CFS's commercial legal capability — building on and improving existing processes to create scalable contract workflows, tools, standard templates, negotiation playbooks, and training that empower business teams and accelerate deal velocity. Lay the groundwork for, and ultimately recruit and lead, a team as the function grows Lead High-Stakes Commercial and Partnership Negotiations Structure, draft, and negotiate complex, high-value commercial and partnership agreements, including key customer, supplier, and vendor deals, long-term procurement contracts, joint developments, strategic alliances, and partnerships Drive Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Serve as a core legal partner on corporate development initiatives — strategic partnerships, joint ventures, strategic investments, technology transfers, licensing, and other complex transactions central to scaling commercial fusion. Partner closely with corporate development and open innovation teams to structure and close deals that advance CFS's strategic position Support Core Corporate Legal Matters Provide legal support on corporate, subsidiary and entity management, and corporate transactions as they relate to commercial, corporate development, or strategic partnership transactions and agreements, serving as a trusted resource to the CLO, CFO, and CCO on corporate-adjacent legal needs beyond commercial deal work Advise Supply Chain & Operations Serve as the primary legal advisor to procurement and global supply chain teams, mitigating risk across complex, multi-tiered international supply chains for advanced hardware, specialized materials, and manufacturing Drive Pragmatic Risk Management Provide business-minded, creative, and actionable legal guidance that balances risk mitigation with the urgency and agility required to hit CFS's commercial milestones Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration Partner closely with commercial, corporate development, supply chain, engineering, global affairs, finance, and compliance teams to ensure alignment and seamless execution across all commercial and corporate development activity — and act as a visible legal leader within the broader organization

Requirements

• Education & Bar: J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar admission in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (eligible for MA In-House Counsel registration) Experience: 12+ years of legal experience, ideally starting at a top-tier law firm followed by significant in-house experience at a fast-growing, complex technology, energy, advanced manufacturing, or industrial company Commercial Expertise: Deep background in drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts, strategic partnerships, global supply chain agreements, and corporate development transactions (JVs, strategic investments, licensing, tech transfer) Corporate Legal Exposure: Familiarity with core corporate legal matters — governance, entity structuring, and general corporate transaction support — sufficient to advise confidently alongside commercial work 0-to-1 Process Builder: Proven track record of creating, operationalizing, and/or improving commercial legal systems, contract management tools (CLM), and negotiation playbooks from the ground up Leadership Trajectory: Experience mentoring, managing, or building legal teams, or a clear readiness to do so — this role is expected to grow into a team lead position Business Acumen & Pragmatism: Exceptional judgment and the ability to synthesize complex technical, operational, and legal concepts into clear, actionable advice for non-lawyers Executive Presence: Comfort advising senior leadership and acting as a trusted strategic partner to the CLO and business unit executives Adaptability & Drive: A proactive, self-starter mentality comfortable operating in a fast-changing, high-ambiguity environment where innovation happens daily Mission Alignment: A genuine passion for clean energy, deep technology, science-based product commercialization, and CFS's mission to bring fusion to the grid
• Dedication to safety to mitigate hazards that may include heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead, high voltage, and cryogenics
• Willingness to occasionally travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call