Lead Counsel, AI Partnerships

Meta; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 237,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Meta’s AI Partnerships Legal team seeks a Commercial Counsel to support the full range of commercial work powering Meta's AI ambitions. You will serve as the lead legal partner for model distribution, licensing, and enterprise deals, collaborating with cross-functional teams across a fast-moving AI ecosystem.

This role requires a J.D. and 5+ years in technology transactions or strategic partnerships, with the ability to close complex agreements and navigate evolving regulatory contexts.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of legal experience in technology transactions or commercial licensing.
• Experience structuring and negotiating complex commercial agreements (cloud, SaaS, platform).
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and drive deals to close with minimal oversight.
• Experience advising on risk in evolving regulatory environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead as primary legal partner for distribution of Meta's AI models through CSPs and channels.
• Structure, negotiate, and close distribution and licensing agreements.
• Lead or support large-scale AI commercial transactions and strategic partnerships.
• Advise on data licensing for model training and product development.
• Provide commercial counsel to teams building AI-powered consumer experiences.

Skills

Legal experience

Technology transactions

Commercial licensing

Strategic partnerships

Deal negotiations

Risk assessment

Education

J.D./bar admission

U.S. jurisdiction bar

Job description

About the RoleMeta's Legal team is looking for a Commercial Counsel to join our AI Partnerships Legal group. This role will support the full range of commercial legal work powering Meta's AI ambitions - with a particular focus on bringing our models to market across the broader ecosystem.About the TeamThe AI Partnerships Legal team supports Meta's most commercially significant AI relationships - from frontier model partnerships and data licensing to ecosystem distribution and product integrations. The work is fast-paced, high-visibility, and directly tied to Meta's AI strategy.

Lead Counsel, AI Partnerships Responsibilities:

• Model Distribution & Ecosystem Launch: Serve as the primary legal partner for efforts to distribute Meta's AI models through cloud service providers (CSPs), open source channels, and other go-to-market pathways
• Structure, negotiate, and close distribution agreements that enable broad model availability while protecting Meta's interests
• Large-Scale AI Commercial Transactions: Lead or support complex commercial deals involving AI technology - including strategic partnerships, joint development arrangements, and enterprise licensing
• Data Licensing: Advise on data acquisition and licensing transactions that fuel model training and product development, including negotiating inbound and outbound data rights
• Consumer Product Support: Provide commercial legal counsel to teams building and shipping AI-powered consumer experiences across Meta's family of apps
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Work closely with business development, product, engineering, policy, and other legal teams to enable fast-moving commercial activity in a rapidly evolving space

Minimum Qualifications:

• J.D. (or equivalent) and active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction
• 5+ years of legal experience, with meaningful time spent on technology transactions, commercial licensing, or strategic partnerships
• Experience structuring and negotiating complex commercial agreements (cloud, SaaS, platform, or similar technology deals)
• Ability to operate independently, manage competing priorities, and drive deals to close with minimal oversight
• Experience assessing legal risk and advising business stakeholders on risk mitigation strategies in ambiguous or evolving regulatory environments and comfortable advising where the law is unsettled or evolving

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements)
• Background working with CSPs (AWS, Azure, GCP) on technology distribution or marketplace agreements
• Familiarity with open source licensing frameworks and community dynamics
• Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies
• Experience supporting go-to-market strategies for platform or developer ecosystem products
• Direct experience with AI/ML model licensing, distribution, or commercialization
• Prior in-house experience at a technology company operating at scale
• Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality and accuracy reviews)

About Meta:

Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today-beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.

Meta is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Aff...

We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Meta participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law. Please note that Meta may leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in connection with applications for employment.

Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at [e-mail].

$170,000/year to $237,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits

Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.