Associate Commercial Counsel

Rippling; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Job summary

Rippling is seeking an Associate Commercial Counsel to partner with the commercial, privacy, procurement, and sales teams in negotiating and drafting a wide range of commercial agreements.

You will own deals from drafting to execution, balancing speed with sound judgment in a fast-growing tech company. The role emphasizes practical business-oriented legal advice, process improvement, and opportunity to grow into broader commercial practice.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school with active bar membership (or eligibility to register as in-house counsel).
• 2–3 years in commercial contracting either at a law firm or in-house.
• Strong drafting and negotiation skills with the ability to translate legal risk into business terms.
• Familiarity with core commercial concepts: liability, indemnification, IP ownership/licensing, confidentiality, termination.

Responsibilities

• Partner with sales, account management, and other legal teams to support negotiations and move deals forward.
• Review and negotiate SaaS/licensing agreements, SOWs, NDAs, vendor and procurement contracts; expand into partnerships.
• Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice on contract terms, liability, indemnification, data privacy, and IP provisions.
• Manage a high volume of contracts, prioritizing by deal size, risk, and urgency.
• Help maintain and improve contract templates, playbooks, and negotiation guidelines.
• Track contract obligations and support contract lifecycle processes.
• Escalate novel or higher-risk issues to senior counsel with clear analysis and recommendations.
• Support ad hoc legal projects (policy updates, training materials, process improvements).
• Leverage AI to help build scalable processes.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Written communication

Attention to detail

Education

J.D. from ABA-accredited law school

Job description

About the role

Rippling is looking for a thoughtful, highly-motivated, business-minded attorney to join our Legal & Compliance Team as Associate Commercial Counsel. In this role, you will partner closely with the commercial team, the privacy team, procurement and sales to support negotiation, drafting, and management of a wide range of commercial agreements. This is a great opportunity for an attorney who wants hands-on ownership of deals, direct exposure to business stakeholders, and room to grow into a broader commercial practice. You’ll report to our Assistant General Counsel, Commercial.

We are looking for someone who is proactive, collaborative, and comfortable balancing speed with sound judgment in a rapidly-evolving environment. You are ready to learn fast, act fast, and make an impact from Day 1. This role is a great fit for someone who also thinks operationally about legal work. We love fresh perspectives and welcome your thoughts on building and improving processes.

What you will do:

• Partner with sales, account management, and other legal teams to support commercial negotiations and help move deals forward
• Review and negotiate a variety of commercial agreements, including SaaS/licensing agreements, SOWs, NDAs, vendor and procurement contracts; expand into partnership contracts
• Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice on contract terms, liability, indemnification, data privacy, and IP provisions
• Manage a high volume of contracts efficiently, prioritizing based on deal size, risk, and urgency
• Help maintain and improve contract templates, playbooks, and negotiation guidelines
• Track contract obligations and support internal processes for contract lifecycle management
• Escalate novel or higher-risk issues to senior counsel with clear analysis and recommendations
• Support ad hoc legal projects as needed (policy updates, training materials, process improvements)
• Leverage AI to help build scalable processes

What you will need:

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing (or eligibility to register as in-house counsel in your jurisdiction)
• 2–3 years of relevant experience in commercial contracting, either at a law firm or in-house
• Strong drafting and negotiation skills, with the ability to translate legal risk into practical business terms
• Familiarity with core commercial contract concepts: limitation of liability, indemnification, warranties, IP ownership/licensing, confidentiality, and termination
• Ability to manage a high volume of contracts independently and prioritize competing deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain legal concepts clearly to non-lawyers
• Strong judgment about when to resolve an issue independently versus escape
• Ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment

Nice to Have

• Experience with SaaS, technology, or data privacy agreements
• Familiarity with leveraging AI tools and skills to improve efficiency
• Prior in-house experience or exposure to a startup/high-growth environment

About the team

Our team keeps Rippling’s commercial engine running efficiently and compliantly by working to accelerate revenue while protecting the business. We support Sales, Business Development, and other GTM teams globally, advising on commercial strategy, negotiating increasingly complex deals, and enabling Rippling to continue to grow and scale. This role offers the opportunity to build and scale a world-class commercial legal function at a fast-growing company.

Additional Information

Rippling is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected characteristics, Rippling is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities who need assistance during the hiring process. To request a reasonable accommodation, please email [e-mail]

Rippling considers working in the office, one to three days a week under current policy, to be an essential function of the employee’s role.

#LI-hybrid

This role will receive a competitive salary + benefits + equity. A variety of factors are considered when determining someone’s compensation–including a candidate’s professional background, experience, and location. Final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed below.