Commercial Counsel

Planisware; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

4 months maternity leave

Parental leave

Disability insurance (life, short &amp

Job summary

Planisware, a global software provider for project and portfolio management, seeks a Commercial Counsel in San Francisco. You will draft and negotiate enterprise SaaS subscriptions, MSAs, DPAs, SOWs, NDAs and related agreements with Sales and Services teams.

You will advise on data protection, cross-border matters, and AI-related terms, coordinating with Legal Operations, external counsel, and Paris. Requirements include a JD, CA Bar, 3+ years SaaS negotiation experience, and strong

Qualifications

• JD and active California Bar membership
• 3+ years SaaS contract negotiation experience
• Experience with global cross-border transactions and data privacy laws (CCPA, GDPR, PIPEDA)
• Ability to explain legal matters to non-lawyers

Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate enterprise SaaS subscriptions, MSAs, SOWs, DPAs, NDAs, and vendor agreements
• Advise Sales on commercial terms and redlines to enable timely deal closure
• Coordinate with Legal Operations, external counsel and cross-border teams (Canada/Mexico/Paris)
• Develop and improve contract templates, playbooks and negotiation positions
• Advise on data protection, IP, confidentiality and AI-related terms

Skills

Drafting skills

Negotiation

Communication

Cross-border transactions

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Tools

AI tools

Job description

Planisware is a global provider of software solutions for project and strategic portfolio management. Our SaaS platform helps organizations manage complex project portfolios, accelerate innovation and make informed business decisions. Customers use Planisware for IT and agile portfolio management, product development and innovation, project controls and engineering, and project business automation.

Planisware USA is a subsidiary of Planisware SA, which is publicly listed on Euronext Paris. Our U.S. offices are located in San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia, and we also support operations in Canada and Mexico.

About the Role:

Planisware is seeking a Commercial Counsel to partner with our Sales and Professional Services teams on enterprise SaaS transactions. In this hands-on role, you will draft and negotiate commercial agreements, provide practical legal advice, and support timely deal execution while protecting Planisware’s legal and commercial interests.

Based in San Francisco and reporting directly to the CRO, you will support U.S., Canadian and Mexican operations, including agreements in French or Spanish, and collaborate extensively with our local Legal Operations team, external U.S. legal counsel, the Group General Counsel and legal colleagues in Paris.

Responsibilities:

• Draft, review and negotiate enterprise SaaS subscription agreements, master services agreements (MSAs), order forms, statements of work (SOWs), professional services agreements, data processing agreements (DPAs), non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and partner and vendor agreements.
• Partner with Sales to prioritize negotiations, assess customer redlines and deliver practical, business-focused solutions to legal and commercial issues.
• Apply company positions on limitation of liability, indemnification, intellectual property, data protection and information security; escalatate deviations as appropriate.
• Advise on commercial terms for AI-enabled product features and for customer use of enterprise AI tools, covering data use, confidentiality and intellectual property ownership in each case.
• Support commercial contracting for Canadian and Mexican operations, including agreements in French or Spanish.
• Maintain accurate contract records, track negotiation status and key contractual obligations, and coordinate with Legal Operations, Sales and Professional Services to support execution and post-signature handoffs.
• Develop and improve contract templates, negotiation playbooks and fallback positions, and train Sales and Professional Services teams on contracting practices.
• Support group-level legal initiatives and advise on cross-border matters in coordination with the Group General Counsel and legal colleagues in Paris.

Required Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (JD) and active membership in good standing with the State Bar of California.
• Minimum three years of experience drafting and negotiating SaaS agreements and global controller-to-processor DPAs in a law firm, an in-house legal team or both.
• Experience with global and cross-border transactions, including expertise in privacy and data protection laws (such as the CCPA, GDPR and PIPEDA) and international data transfer mechanisms (such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)).
• Working knowledge of enterprise AI tools, their technical functionalities, and their commercial and legal implications.
• Demonstrated experience advising sales teams on customer transactions.
• Strong drafting skills and the ability to produce clear, precise and commercially practical contract language.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to negotiate directly with customers and prospects and explain legal matters clearly to non-lawyers.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional working proficiency in French, Spanish or both.
• Experience using AI-assisted legal tools.
• Paid holidays
• Up to 4 months maternity leave
• Parental leave
• Life, short and long-term disability insurance
• Company annual kick-off trip
• 401(k) plan with company variable contribution
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• FSA plan, including employer contribution
• Cell phone and internet allowances
• Quarterly events/monthly happy hour
• Community outreach
• Tuition assistance program
• Graduate program

This role will be based out of our San Francisco, CA office. Planisware currently has a hybrid policy of working in-office four days per week, Monday-Thursday, with remote flexibility on Friday. This is subject to change as the company sees fit.