Remote Commercial Counsel for SaaS Contracts & AI

Canto; Charlotte (NC); Remote; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Canto is hiring its first in-house legal leader to build and scale a modern legal function from the ground up. This role focuses on commercial contracting as a strategic growth driver—owning end-to-end contracting operations and establishing playbooks across Sales, Finance, and the executive team.

We’re seeking a builder who thrives in a fast-paced SaaS environment, able to implement CLM systems, leverage AI tools for contract reviews, and partner closely with Sales and GTM teams to accelerate

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of legal experience in SaaS or technology.
• Strong experience negotiating commercial SaaS agreements (MSAs, subscription, DPAs, and NDAs).
• Working knowledge of data privacy frameworks (GDPR, CCPA).
• Ability to build processes and legal infrastructure in a scaling environment.
• Experience partnering with Sales and GTM teams in a high-velocity commercial environment.
• Interest in legal tech and AI-driven workflows.
• Hands-on CLM experience and AI-enabled drafting tools.
• Experience as an early or first in-house hire.
• Strong written and verbal communication for non-legal stakeholders.
• Commercial judgment balancing risk with business velocity.
• Ability to leverage AI tools for contract review and workflow automation.
• Cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Finance, and executives.
• EST/CST time-zone collaboration preferred.

Responsibilities

• Drive commercial contracting and sales enablement—negotiating MSAs, DPAs, NDAs, and subscription agreements.
• Own contracting operations end-to-end and build scalable processes.
• Implement a CLM system with templates, playbooks, and approval workflows.
• Leverage AI-driven tools for contract review, risk flagging, and automation.
• Manage risk across vendor relationships, privacy, and governance.
• Lead the legal function as primary advisor across commercial matters.

Skills

SaaS/tech legal experience

Commercial SaaS contracts

Data privacy knowledge

Independent builder

Sales/go-to-market partnership

Legal tech interest

Cross-functional collaboration

Time zone coordination (EST/CST)

Tools

CLM systems

AI-enabled legal tools

Job description

Canto is hiring its first in-house legal leader to build and scale a modern legal function from the ground up. This role focuses on commercial contracting as a strategic growth driver—owning end-to-end contracting operations and establishing playbooks across Sales, Finance, and the executive team.

We’re seeking a builder who thrives in a fast-paced SaaS environment, able to implement CLM systems, leverage AI tools for contract reviews, and partner closely with Sales and GTM teams to accelerate