Commercial Counsel – SaaS (Remote)

Canto; Idaho Falls (ID); Remote; USD 140,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Canto is seeking a Commercial Counsel to build and scale a modern in-house legal function focused on commercial contracting as a strategic driver of growth. You will report to the CFO and design an AI-enabled contracting operation that accelerates deal velocity while managing risk.

In this role, you will own end-to-end contracting operations, implement CLM systems, and partner with Sales, Finance, and executives to enable scalable growth across US and Europe.

Qualifications

• JD and active bar membership in good standing.
• 5–8 years of legal experience in SaaS or technology, in‑house or a mix of law firm and in‑house.
• Strong experience negotiating commercial SaaS agreements, including MSAs, subscription agreements, DPAs, and NDAs.
• Working knowledge of data privacy frameworks, including GDPR, CCPA, and related regulations.

Responsibilities

• Drive Commercial Contracting & Sales Enablement.
• Own negotiation and execution of commercial SaaS agreements — including MSAs, subscription agreements, DPAs, and NDAs — while enabling the business to move quickly within defined guardrails.
• Enforce company positions on non-standard terms and manage escalation paths, improving time-to-signature without increasing legal or commercial risk.
• Train and enable Sales to handle routine negotiations independently, reducing legal bottlenecks at scale.
• Own & Scale Contracting Operations.
• Lead the end-to-end contracting function for all customer and vendor agreements, building a scalable, AI-enabled operation that reduces manual work and accelerates deal cycles.
• Implement and manage a Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system, including templates, negotiation playbooks, approval workflows, and delegation of authority controls.
• Leverage AI-driven legal tools for contract review, risk flagging, and workflow automation — actively identifying opportunities to reduce outside counsel reliance over time.
• Manage Risk Across Vendor Relationships, Privacy, and Governance.
• Own vendor contracting and procurement legal processes, maintaining a contract repository with proactive tracking of key terms and obligations.
• Lead legal aspects of data privacy — including DPA negotiation and regulatory alignment with GDPR, CCPA, and related frameworks — and monitor evolving requirements across Canto's operating and customer geographies.
• Partner with Security, Product, and Executive Leadership on emerging legal and regulatory requirements related to AI, data governance, automated decision‑making, IP, and responsible AI practices.
• Lead the Legal Function
• Serve as the primary legal advisor across commercial and operational matters, managing outside counsel relationships across the US and Europe with a focus on cost efficiency and minimizing routine escalations.
• Handle disputes and pre‑litigation matters with a pragmatic, resolution‑oriented approach, and advise on Canto's corporate entity compliance program.
• Partner with Security during privacy and security events, coordinating on notification obligations, contractual commitments, regulatory requirements, and privilege preservation.

Skills

Commercial contracting

SaaS agreements

Data privacy

Education

JD and bar membership

Tools

CLM systems

Job description

Canto is seeking a Commercial Counsel to build and scale a modern in-house legal function focused on commercial contracting as a strategic driver of growth. You will report to the CFO and design an AI-enabled contracting operation that accelerates deal velocity while managing risk.

In this role, you will own end-to-end contracting operations, implement CLM systems, and partner with Sales, Finance, and executives to enable scalable growth across US and Europe.