Director, Legal (Commercial)

Nscale; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 300,000 - 380,000; Full time

Job summary

Nscale, a US-based GPU cloud provider, seeks a senior commercial lawyer to lead drafting and negotiation of customer agreements for AI cloud and GPU infrastructure services, supporting growth with enterprise and hyperscale customers.

You will work with Sales, AI Infrastructure, Product, Finance and Data Centre Operations to align commitments with upstream obligations, navigate privacy and security issues, and mentor junior lawyers while shaping scalable contracting processes.

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited US law school and active membership in good standing of at least one US state bar.
• 8+ years of commercial legal experience, including substantial in‑house experience at a cloud, SaaS or infrastructure company.
• Deep experience negotiating complex, high‑value customer‑facing agreements.
• Demonstrated expertise in cloud infrastructure, SaaS, data‑centre, colocation or telecom services with enterprise or hyperscale customers.
• Strong understanding of technology contracting, including SLAs, data protection and security, intellectual property and risk allocation in capacity or infrastructure commitments.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation and communication skills, with the confidence to lead discussions directly with sophisticated customer counsel and senior executives.
• A proactive, business‑enabling mindset and the ability to manage multiple high‑stakes deals in a fast‑paced, high‑growth environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the drafting and negotiation of customer agreements for AI cloud and GPU infrastructure services, including MSAs, capacity reservations, take‑or‑pay, colocation and powered‑shell arrangements, order forms, SLAs, AUPs and DPA.
• Negotiate complex commercial and risk terms, including milestones, pricing, prepayments, credits, security, IP and termination rights.
• Coordinate with Procurement, Construction and Finance to align customer commitments with upstream obligations.
• Support partner, reseller, marketplace and public‑sector agreements and procurement requirements.
• Advise Sales and leadership with practical, risk‑calibrated guidance on deal structure and negotiation strategy.
• Advise on data privacy, security, export control and AI regulatory considerations in collaboration with Privacy/Compliance.
• Manage post‑signature matters: amendments, expansions, renewals, disputes and escalations.
• Develop and maintain customer templates, negotiation playbooks, fallback positions and approval matrices.
• Train Sales/Deal Desk on contracting processes and key terms; contribute to scalable deal governance.
• Mentor junior lawyers and help build a high‑performing commercial legal team.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Legal drafting

Cloud SaaS knowledge

Stakeholder mgmt

Education

JD from US law school

Job description

About Nscale

Nscale is the GPU cloud engineered for AI. We provide cost-effective, high-performance infrastructure for AI start‑ups and large enterprise customers. Nscale enables AI‑focused companies to achieve superior results by reducing the complexity of AI development. Our GPU cloud bolsters technical capabilities and directly supports strategic business outcomes, including cost management, rapid innovation, and environmental responsibility.

We thrive on a culture of relentless innovation, ownership, and accountability, where every team member takes pride in their work and drives it with excellence and urgency. As an Nscaler, you'll build trust through openness and transparency, where everyone is inspired to do their best work. If you join our team, you'll be contributing to building the technology that powers the future.

About The Role

We are looking for a senior commercial lawyer to join Nscale's US Commercial Legal team. You will lead the execution of complex, high-value customer transactions supporting Nscale's AI cloud and GPU infrastructure services.

Working closely with Sales, AI Infrastructure, Product, Finance and Data Centre Operations, you will structure and negotiate agreements with frontier AI labs, hyperscalers, enterprises and public‑sector customers. This is a highly visible, hands‑on role for a commercially minded lawyer who can protect Nscale's position while helping critical deals move at the speed of the market.

What You'll be Doing

• Lead the drafting and negotiation of customer agreements for AI cloud and GPU infrastructure services, including master services agreements, multi‑year capacity reservations, take‑or‑pay commitments, colocation and powered‑shell arrangements, order forms, SLAs, acceptable‑use policies and data‑processing agreements.
• Negotiate complex commercial and risk terms, including capacity‑delivery milestones, delay remedies, pricing, prepayment and credit support, service credits, security and compliance commitments, intellectual property and customer data, indemnities, limitations of liability and termination rights.
• Partner with Procurement, Construction and Finance counsel to align customer commitments with upstream obligations, including hardware supply, data‑centre delivery schedules and financing requirements.
• Support partner, reseller, marketplace and strategic‑alliance agreements, as well as public‑sector opportunities and applicable federal and state procurement requirements.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to Sales and commercial leadership, offering clear, practical and risk‑calibrated guidance on deal structure and negotiation strategy.
• Advise on data privacy, security, export‑control and AI‑related regulatory considerations in customer relationships, in partnership with Privacy and Compliance colleagues.
• Manage post‑signature matters, including amendments, expansions, renewals, disputes and commercial escalations.
• Develop and maintain customer templates, negotiation playbooks, fallback positions and approval matrices.
• Train Sales and Deal Desk teams on contracting processes and key terms, and contribute to scalable deal governance.
• Mentor junior lawyers and help build a high‑performing commercial legal team.

About You

• JD from an accredited US law school and active membership in good standing of at least one US state bar.
• 8+ years of commercial legal experience, including substantial in‑house experience at a cloud, SaaS or infrastructure company.
• Deep experience negotiating complex, high‑value customer‑facing agreements.
• Demonstrated expertise in cloud infrastructure, SaaS, data‑centre, colocation or telecom services with enterprise or hyperscale customers.
• Strong understanding of technology contracting, including SLAs, data protection and security, intellectual property and risk allocation in capacity or infrastructure commitments.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation and communication skills, with the confidence to lead discussions directly with sophisticated customer counsel and senior executives.
• A proactive, business‑enabling mindset and the ability to manage multiple high‑stakes deals in a fast‑paced, high‑growth environment.

Nice to Have

• In‑house experience at a hyperscaler, neocloud, colocation provider or AI company.
• Experience with long‑term capacity reservations or take‑or‑pay contracts and related credit‑support structures.
• Experience supporting public‑sector contracting.

Why this Role Matters

Nscale is building the infrastructure that enables the next generation of AI. The commercial agreements behind that infrastructure are central to how we scale responsibly, deliver for customers and manage significant long‑term commitments.

In this role, you will help shape how Nscale executes some of the industry's most consequential AI infrastructure deals while building the legal processes that support our next stage of growth.

Equal Opportunities Statement

Nscale is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If you require reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please let us know.

Salary Range

$300,000—$380,000 USD

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