Remote Commercial Counsel: SaaS Contracts & AI Tools

Canto; Massachusetts; Remote; USD 190,000 - 240,000; 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 implementing foundational systems and playbooks.

You'll partner with Sales, Finance, and executives, scale the contracting operation, and drive risk-aware growth in a fast-paced SaaS environment. This is a remote-friendly in-house counsel position across the US.

Qualifications

• 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.
• Demonstrated ability to operate independently, build processes from scratch, and establish legal infrastructure in a scaling environment.
• Experience partnering with Sales and go-to-market teams in a high-velocity commercial environment.
• Clear interest in legal technology and AI-driven workflows, with a commitment to building a modern, tech-enabled legal function.
• Hands-on experience with CLM systems and AI-enabled legal review or drafting tools.
• Prior experience as an early or first in-house legal hire.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance for non-legal stakeholders.
• Commercial judgment and pragmatism - able to balance legal risk with business velocity and act as a trusted partner, not a gatekeeper.

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

SaaS/tech legal experience

In-house or mixed practice

Commercial SaaS contract negotiation

Data privacy (GDPR/CCPA)

Independent process builder

Sales/go-to-market collaboration

Legal tech & AI workflows

First in-house hire experience

Strong written/verbal communication

Cross-functional collaboration

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 implementing foundational systems and playbooks.

You'll partner with Sales, Finance, and executives, scale the contracting operation, and drive risk-aware growth in a fast-paced SaaS environment. This is a remote-friendly in-house counsel position across the US.