Remote Commercial Counsel — SaaS Legal Leader

Canto; Madison (WI); Remote; USD 180,000 - 280,000; 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. The role focuses on commercial contracting as a strategic driver of growth, owning end-to-end contracting operations within six months and establishing foundational systems and playbooks.

You will partner across Sales, Finance, and the executive team to enable rapid deal cycles while maintaining prudent risk management in a scaling SaaS environment.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of legal experience in SaaS or technology, in‑house or 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 and CCPA, and related regulations.

Responsibilities

• Lead negotiation and execution of commercial SaaS agreements, including MSAs, subscription agreements, DPAs, and NDAs.
• Implement and manage a Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system with templates, playbooks, and approvals.
• Oversee privacy-related matters, including DPAs and regulatory alignment across geographies.
• Partner with Sales, Finance, and executives to balance risk with business velocity.
• Manage outside counsel relationships across US and Europe to optimize costs and outcomes.

Skills

SaaS contracting experience

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

AI tools in legal

Regulatory compliance

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Tools

CLM systems

AI-enabled drafting tools

Job description

Canto is hiring its first in-house legal leader to build and scale a modern legal function from the ground up. The role focuses on commercial contracting as a strategic driver of growth, owning end-to-end contracting operations within six months and establishing foundational systems and playbooks.

You will partner across Sales, Finance, and the executive team to enable rapid deal cycles while maintaining prudent risk management in a scaling SaaS environment.